In an evening without attack against Dallas, Victor Wembanyama was not transparent in the Texan derby. The Spurs pivot delivered another great defensive performance, with six blocks and some brilliant actions. It was not enough to overthrow the Mavericks (113-107) in San Antonio, but Victor Wembanyama drew praise from Kyrie Irving for his qualities as a protector of the circle.
The Frenchman has taken on a new dimension since the first Spurs – Mavs match, the very first of his NBA career. Since then, he has confirmed his place among the most deterrent players in the league, in paint coverage but also wide. On his third block of the evening, “Wemby” is defending Daniel Gafford on the racket line, when PJ Washington is found in the 3-point corner.
Good reading, lateral speed and sprawling arms: barely a second later, the Frenchman counters the Mavericks player's attempt. “ You have to watch out for him when he comes to contest at the last moment, he has the timing of a fullback » described Kyrie Irving. “ I don't know if it's just because he plays against guards, but he had a lot of streaks defending good guards and defending them one-on-one. »
“If you can finish your actions on Victor, I feel like you can do it on anyone.”
The All-Star point guard experienced it himself. In the fourth quarter, Kyrie Irving goes towards the circle with his right hand, sees Victor Wembanyama approaching and decides to change hands… to better be countered on the other side of the circle by the long segments of the Spurs pivot.
“ I tried a reverse layup and he ended up blocking it to the left of the hoop because I thought he would go to the right. But he has this immense wingspan, so he covers a lot of ground » he explains.
“ As a competitor, I like to go to the circle and challenge him, because if you can finish your actions on Victor, I feel like you can do it on anyone » continues a rave Kyrie Irving. “ He's going to counter some, make you change some of your shots, but it's just going to make you a better basketball player. And that's what I want, I think everyone should like that. »
If Draymond Green believes that the first choice of the last Draft should not be part of the discussion for the title of defender of the year, the fault in particular is the poor record of the Spurs, and the fact that San Antonio is only the 23rd defense this season, the Mavericks leader has a completely different opinion. “ He does things a defenseman of the year would do » assures Kyrie Irving. “ He shows signs thathe has already exceeded the stats of all the previous players who have won the trophy in recent years. I don't know who you're going to pick, but he has what it takes to be named defender of the year. »
Because as Kirk Goldsberry illustrates, Victor Wembanyama's defensive impact is already enormous. Over the last 15 games, the Spurs have the best defense in the NBA when he is on the court (106 points conceded over 100 possessions) and the 25th (118 points conceded over 100 possessions) when he is on the bench…
At 20 years old, Victor Wembanyama still has time to progress and establish himself in this category. He himself was planning there on March 14, considering Rudy Gobert as the favorite this season. This is confirmed by the Las Vegas bookmakers, who make the Wolves pivot the favorite for the title this season… ahead of his compatriot from the Spurs.
“ It would be deserved but let him earn it now because afterward it will no longer be his turn » had amused, not without ambition, the interior of San Antonio. “ Wembanyama is clearly a candidate, I don't see how he could not be, apart from the number of matches and minutes played » insists Kyrie Irving. “ I give him a lot of credit, being such a young player, but learning as he goes and doing everything he can to make his team win.“
