It is difficult to understate how dominant Victor Wembanyama has been defensively this season for the San Antonio Spurs. In just five games thus far, he has tallied a shocking 24 blocks, or 4.8 blocks per game.
His size and length obviously play a factor, though his timing is also impeccable with his reaction speed. Take, for instance, his jaw-dropping play against the Toronto Raptors, where he swatted a shot at the rim, stumbled, and then somehow recovered quickly enough to block a dunk.
Now comes a new move to his arsenal. Against the Miami Heat, Wembanyama actually crouched down behind Julian Champagnie when a Heat player tried to attack the paint before jumping up and rejecting his shot.
The Crouching Wemby Block is becoming a real thing pic.twitter.com/SuRBEKVt8K
— Josh Paredes (@Josh810) October 31, 2025
It is almost comical that a 7'5" player would try to hide behind a teammate on defense, but there was actually an intriguing reason why it is so effective.
Victor Wembanyama's peekaboo block is a clever weapon
His mere presence makes the prospects of an opponent taking a shot over him seem foolish. However, if an offensive player attacks the paint and thinks they have a clear shot at the basket only for Wembanyama to sprout up like a Jack-in-the-Box, then it could prove to be a devastating maneuver.
The goal likely isn't to try and hide behind a teammate. Instead, it is to try and lure a defender into the paint only for him to pop up and reject the shot. It's essentially a trap with teams already wary of attacking the paint while he's in the game.
But if a player takes, say, Champagnie off the dribble, and Wembanyama ducks down behind his 6'8" teammate while Champagnie tries to cut off a drive, then it's perfect strategy. Having him looming in the paint is a huge boon for players such as Champagnie, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and Keldon Johnson.
Those players can afford to play as aggressively as they want to on the perimeter, trying to generate turnovers and get out in the fast break, knowing that they have a 7'5" big man who can shut down the paint behind them. Especially if he can catch opponents off-guard with a ridiculous yet effective strategy.
All told, Wembanyama's peekaboo block is a clever weapon that could catch teams off guard. It's already hard enough to score in the paint when he's in the game, let alone with him lurking behind teammates just waiting to emerge.