San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama was likely to win the Defensive Player of the Year award in just his second NBA season before a blood clot sidelined him after 46 appearances.
His sophomore year was off to a tremendous start, as he averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks on 47.6% shooting and 35.2% from three-point range. All of these factors point to Wembanyama already being a top 10 player in the league, which The Sporting News' Stephen Noh clearly agrees with.
Noh placed Wembanyama in the No. 5 spot in his latest NBA player rankings, only trailing Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic.
"Wemby is already the league's best defender at the age of 21. Opponents are afraid to challenge him at the rim, u-turning their drives in the lane when they spot him near the basket," Noh wrote. "Wembanyama isn't quite as polished on offense. He's an adequate 3-point shooter who takes some very tough looks and isn't afraid of deep bombs."
It's quite bold to place the one-time All-Star so high above the likes of Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Joel Embiid, and more. He's played just over 100 games in his career, and his team is yet to reach the playoffs.
Wembanyama, if he stays healthy, will likely make his playoff debut this season, as this is the best supporting cast he's had thus far. It's clear the former No. 1 pick is eager to get back on the floor and lead his team to the postseason.
“I feel like I need to play basketball now,” Wembanyama said at Spurs media day Monday. “Obviously, I’ve played basketball almost all summer.
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"But, on my body, there’s only so many steps that I’m going to pass in the summer. I’m only going to get so much better, and I think I’ve maxed out what I can do in one summer. And now I need to play basketball and work on my skills and as a team tactically. So yeah, I want to play and I miss it," Wembanyama concluded.
Yes, these rankings are based off current skill, but it's tough to put him above Curry or Edwards given their postseason success in recent years.
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