Give him Defensive Player of the Year for this alone
San Antonio Spurs rookie big man Victor Wembanyama is capable of doing many things on the basketball court. From shamgod dribbles on opposing defenders to blocking shots into orbit, Wemby has done many things on the basketball court that boggle the mind.
I can confidently say, however, that I’ve never seen anyone defend a 3-on-1 fastbreak with simply vibes and The Force. Yet, Wembanyama did it in San Antonio’s 102-87 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. Wemby had 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists and seven blocks, but his most impressive play came from nearly stopping a fastbreak by staring in the general direction of three Grizzlies defenders.
Honestly, I’ve never seen this in my 23 years of life. The Grizzlies would score later in the possession, but only after going from inside the paint with two players against Wembanyama to a third player at the three point line, also defended by Wembanyama. The defensive presence Wemby has garnered as a rookie is already showing up in the back half of the season. Wemby’s nickname is going to become “Mr. Business Decision” because he forces opponents to make the smart business decision and not attack Wembanyama in the paint.
Keep in mind, this isn’t even the best version of Wemby the NBA is going to see. He’s only going to get better, and that should be terrifying for the rest of the league. The fact that he can do this without even being at his physical and mental peak yet is insane.
Wemby continues to do things that confound the mind—as a teenager!
