Victor Wembanyama is something that we have never seen before, and that is seriously the truth. The 7’4″ extraterrestrial is doing things that no basketball player, let alone human, should be able to physically do. While we are just scratching the surface of the Alien’s greatness, we have already seen him take massive strides in the NBA.
Although Wembanyama’s offensive gifts are magical, the root of his value lies in his defense. Just two years into his NBA career, one thing can be made clear: Victor Wembanyama is the best defender in the NBA. However, while this should be obvious, not everyone would agree. In particular, a select group of anonymous general managers has a different answer.
In the NBA’s 2025-26 GM Survey, the voters were asked who the best defender in the NBA is. Shockingly, only 80% of voters said it was Victor Wembanyama. The rest of the voters split among players such as Evan Mobley, Rudy Gobert, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Lu Dort. With full respect to Dort, no person could possibly believe that he is a better defender than Wemby. I’ve got some serious questions.
Victor Wembanyama is without a doubt the best defender in the NBA
Where do I begin? No matter what argument you decide to go down, Wembanyama will always reign supreme. Above all else, Vic is perhaps the greatest basket deterrent we have ever seen, and there are plenty of stats to back it up.
For one, there is a solid chance that Wembanyama finishes his NBA career with the most blocks in NBA history. The current leader, Hakeem Olajuwon, holds the record with 3,830 blocks. In just a season and a half of basketball, the 21-year-old has compiled 430 blocks and an average of 3.7 per game. For comparison, Olajuwon averaged only 3.1.
And it goes even further. The feared rim defender is holding opponents to a staggering 50% from the field when attacking the hoop. This number is nearly 10% greater than the next best in the current NBA. This stat alone shows Wemby is by far the most feared interior defender.
Don’t think this has a significant impact because the Spurs’ defensive rating changes dramatically with the big man on the court. With Wembanyama, the Spurs’ defensive rating was 107.7, which would compare with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets. And this was with a supporting cast that was lackluster on that side of the ball. Without Wemby, the number would drop tremendously.
I could go on for days about how great Victor Wembanyama is on the defensive side of the ball. The stats back it up, and it is only going to get better from here. It is absolute insanity that anyone would try to argue against the superstar. Now loaded up with an improved squad and increased strength, the 20% that choose against Wemby will look silly.