NBA (DR)
For his first NBA season, Victor Wembanyama has decided to make an impression.
His defensive impact already makes him one of the best players in the league in this area.
Recent viral statistics on this subject demonstrate this.
Barely arrived on the American floors, he was already exploding the counters.
Author of a thunderous debut in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama now seems capable of seizing a new record every evening.
No wonder, then, that he stands out in the eyes of the majority of observers as the big favorite for the title of Rookie of the Year, to the delight of Spurs supporters.
Wembanyama’s crazy stats on defense
While his offensive contribution is spectacular, Wembanyama’s defensive prowess allows him to feature well in the race for the Defender of the Year trophy .
In this regard, many tend to blame him for his poor collective record (15-54) as well as San Antonio’s poor collective defense.
However, statistics recently offered by Kirk Goldsberry undermine these arguments:
Wemby is the most impactful defender in the NBA
Spurs Last 15 Games
*Wemby On Court*
Net Rating: +5.3
Off. Rating: 111.4
Def. Rating: 106.0 (Would rank *1st* in NBA)🚨*Wemby Off Court*
Net Rating: -10.1
Off. Rating: 107.9
Def. Rating: 118.0 (Would rank *25th* in NBA)— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) March 19, 2024
Wemby is the most impactful defender in the NBA. Over Spurs’ last 15 games:
(With Wemby on the field) Net Rating: +5.3; Offensive Rating: 111.4; Defensive Rating: 106.0 (would rank 1st in NBA)🚨
(With Wemby off the field) Net Rating: -10.1; Offensive Rating: 107.9; Defensive Rating: 118.0 (would rank 25th in NBA)
In other words, the Spurs show a completely different face when Victor is on the floor and even present in this configuration the best defense in the league over the last 15 games.
Proof that his contribution is already immense on this side of the field despite certain appearances.
Goldsberry then took it upon himself to image his words in order to illustrate the bipolarity of the Texans with and without Wemby:
This is how it looks on The Efficiency Landscape. Absurd. pic.twitter.com/iZd9GoBfu7
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) March 19, 2024
Here’s what it looks like from a graphical perspective. Absurd.
While he is only in his first NBA season, Victor Wembanyama’s impact on the Spurs is already impressive from a statistical point of view.
All that remains is to hope that he will very quickly be better supported to translate this on a collective level.