Victor Wembanyama has cemented himself as the NBA's most feared defender in his third season. The French phenom's defensive impact has been a driving force in the San Antonio Spurs' emergence as a title contender.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson revealed how Wembanyama's mentality separates him from other elite defenders.
“You can see that he’s definitely taken it upon himself to be very aggressive and physical on the ball. I think the one thing that stands out about him and a few other guys in this league is that he looks to guard primary players on the other team regardless of their position or skill set. And that’s a unique ability that not everybody can do by just combination of size, athleticism, and capabilities,” Johnson said.
Wembanya's defensive impact has bordered on historic this season.
Victor Wembanyama's DPOY odds soar amid Spurs' success
The 22-year-old leads the NBA with 3.9 stocks (steals + blocks) per game, 0.8 ahead of the next highest player (Scottie Barnes: 3.0). San Antonio allows 10.6 fewer points per 100 possessions with Wembanyama on the court vs. off, the NBA's second-highest defensive rating swing, behind only Rudy Gobert (-12.7), per CleaningTheGlass.
Wembanyama, with the help of Stephon Castle, held MVP candidate Cade Cunningham to his worst performance of the season during the Spurs' 114-103 win over the Detroit Pistons on Monday. Cunningham posted 16 points on 5-of-26 shooting during the loss.
Wembanyama is -500 to win Defensive Player Of The Year amid the Spurs' 42-16 (3rd in NBA) campaign, per FanDuel SportsBook. Chet Holmgren has the next-highest odds at +500.
