Kicking off the top 15 of our top 25 list is Victor Wembanyama. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick is a basketball anomaly and is poised to dominate the league over the next decade. With incredible defense and guard-like skills on offense, the 7-foot-4 giant is truly one of a kind. Let’s examine Wemby’s game and spot among the NBA’s best.
Top 25 NBA Players 2024-25: No. 15 – Victor Wembanyama
A One of One Generational Star
The term generational star is fairly overused, however, with Wembanyama, a generational star doesn’t even cover his absurd talent. Wemby is a one-of-one player. We have never seen a 7-foot-4 move so fluidly or with the shooting ball-handling abilities that Wemby has. Wembanyama’s size, length (8-foot wingspan), and mobility allow him to have an unprecedented defensive impact. This incredible skill set gives Wemby unlimited star upside. When it’s all said and done Wembanyama could be remembered as the best defender of all time and one the greatest players of all time. Ultimately, we’ve never seen a player quite like Wemby.
Season Recap
Wembanyama was touted as the most hyped-up player since LeBron James and he lived up to these sky-high expectations in his rookie season. He had an incredibly dominant defensive season. Wemby averaged an absurd 3.6 blocks per game and 1.2 steals per game. Notably, he recorded 64 more total blocks than anyone in the league and had stretches of the season where he had more blocks than entire teams. However, blocks and steals don’t fully measure a player’s defensive impact.
Wemby’s elite mobility, combined with his rim protection and ability to deter shots highlights his defensive impact. Furthermore, the advanced stats back up his impact with Wemby on the court the Spurs had a top-five defense when he was off the court they had the 24th-ranked defense. Impressively, Wemby finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and became the youngest player ever to make an All-Defensive team.
Wemby also showed a star-level production on offense, averaging 21.4 points and 3.9 assists in under 30 minutes a game. After the January 1st, Wemby shined, averaging 23.1 points along with 10.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. Wembanayama shot 37.5 percent on pull-up three-pointers and took on a lot of playmaking responsibility for the Spurs posting an impressive 21.5 assist percentage. San Antonio had one of the worst rosters in the league; they didn’t surround Wemby with playmaking or floor spacing. Notably, the Spurs ranked 28th in three-point percentage and lacked a natural playmaker. While the Spurs only won 22 games, Wemby’s efforts were nothing short of incredible, and his rookie season will go down as one of the best of all time.
Wemby had more blocks than these teams in February 😯 pic.twitter.com/hAyhHMKtLZ
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 1, 2024
Season Outlook
A second-year jump is common for most young stars. Given Wemby’s talent, this will likely be a massive jump. Notably, Wembanyama is the favorite to win both the Most Improved Player and Defensive Player of the Year. Wemby is poised to dominate the DPOY award for the next decade. Crucially, the Spurs upgraded the roster around Wemby this offseason. By drafting Stephon Castle and signing Chris Paul the Spurs upgrade their main need of playmaking. Paul will be a vital veteran presence while Castle will be an ideal guard partner next to Wemby for years to come.
The defensive upside with Castle and Wembanyama is off the charts. The Spurs also traded for Harrison Barnes, a solid veteran who upgrades their floor spacing. By addressing their main needs in the offseason paired with a second-year jump from Wemby the Spurs will be more competitive this season. With these improvements, Wembanyama could average 25-plus points and fully establish himself as the league’s best defender.
The Last Word
Some may argue that 15 is too high for Wemby solely based on last season. Regardless, projection is slightly factored into these rankings and 15 isn’t ridiculous as things currently stand. Wemby already has a strong case for the best defender in the league with an inevitable scoring jump he will rapidly rise up the rankings. By this time next year, Wembanyama will likely be in the top 10 perhaps even higher.
