Just two years into Victor Wembanyama's NBA career, he has already sent shockwaves through the league. Coming in as one of the most talented and decorated prospects the NBA has ever seen, the Alien has fully lived up to the hype.
Offensively, Wembanyama has amazed NBA fans with his absurd ability to take defenders off the dribble, pull up from deep, and calmly handle the ball with ease. But where Wemby truly shines is on defense. While his offensive production and skills are impressive, what he has done on the other side of the ball is even more astounding, so much so that it has become easy to make a very stark claim.
Spurs' Victor Wembanyama is the best defender in the NBA
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Yes, that's right; I said it, and I'll say it again. [Victor Wembanyama is the best defender in the NBA](https://airalamo.com/wembanyama-claimed-nba-honor-nobody-deny-him), and frankly, it is not even close. Spend just a few minutes watching a cut-up of the big man's best defensive plays, and you will agree with me.
What Wembanyama can do on the defensive side of the ball is something that we have never seen before. He can guard 1-5, use his length to get in passing lanes, use his agile movement to stay glued to the ball handler, use precise timing to [come up with big-time blocks](https://airalamo.com/victor-wembanyama-defense-bending-reality-stats-prove), and stay strong in the paint for major rejections. No matter how you want to look at it, Vic is simply the best.
If you don't want to spend any time watching him on tape, don't worry, I have the numbers to back it up. In particular, one stat will shock you and tells all about how great Wembanyama is as a defender.
Defensive Player of the Year should be Wembanyama's to lose
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Last season, the Spurs had a defensive rating of 122 with their superstar off the court. In comparison, the league's worst defensive team, the Utah Jazz, had a defensive rating of 119.4. So yeah, the Spurs' defense without Wembanyama was pretty bad.
But when the defensive stalwart was back on the floor, the Spurs' defense rose dramatically to 112.4. Doing some quick math, that is an eye-popping 9.6 difference. Meaning that Wembanyama was single-handedly stopping a total of 9.6 points per 100 possessions while on the court. Absolutely absurd.
This stat alone should tell you how great a defender he is. By himself, Wembanyama can completely transform an NBA defense and turn a poor unit into a good one. I won't bother to spend any more time going into the other million stats that prove that Wemby is the best in the game. You should already know by now. Just wait until he gets more help in 2025-26.