Victor Wembanyama pushed back against the idea that the NBA lacks defense, saying players "actually do guard and do lots of scouting" and that the league's offenses or players only look unstoppable because the talent level is so high.
Victor Wembanyama is only in his third NBA season with the San Antonio Spurs, but he is already firmly in the MVP conversation.
Widely regarded as one of the league's best defenders, Wembanyama continues to show the ceiling of an elite rim protector, averaging 3.1 blocks per game.
Still, even the best defenders cannot stop everything. Sometimes the offense simply executes better than the defense.
In Europe – and elsewhere – people often claim the NBA is basketball without defense, but Wemby strongly disagrees.
"Before I got here, it's a lot of talk about the NBA that nobody plays defense anymore, or like there's no defense in the NBA," he said after the Spurs' 127-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. "I heard that a lot before coming here, but it's just not true. Players are just that good… People actually do guard in the NBA and do lots of scouting.
"I was surprised by the dedication of the whole staff when I got here. And I've heard that from other franchises. Franchises that win, franchises that didn't win. And we weren't winning a lot at the time. People actually do guard in the NBA and do a lot of defensive scouting reports."
Despite those scouting efforts, Wembanyama often looks unstoppable. The 22-year-old French star is averaging 24.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.
He has also helped lead the Spurs to the second-best record in the Western Conference at 56-18.
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