It’s official, Victor Wembanyama isn’t just redefining defense; he’s breaking basketball math. Three games into the 2025–26 season, the 7’4” phenom has already recorded 18 blocks, more than 27 entire NBA teams. Only five teams have more total blocks than Wemby himself. Everyone else trails behind one man.
That’s not a typo. That’s Victor Wembanyama.
– Detroit Pistons – 26
– San Antonio Spurs – 24
– Memphis Grizzlies – 20
– Boston Celtics – 19
– Los Angeles Clippers – 19
– Victor Wembanyama – 18
– Sacramento Kings – 18
Through three games, the 21-year-old French superstar has been nothing short of generational, averaging 33.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 6.0 blocks per game, while shooting 56.9% from the field and 36.4% from three.
Those aren’t just elite numbers; they’re unprecedented. Nobody in modern NBA history has combined this kind of scoring dominance with that level of rim protection.
Wembanyama’s most jaw-dropping defensive performance so far came against the New Orleans Pelicans, where he finished with nine blocks and 29 points in a commanding win. A few nights later, he stuffed six shots against the Brooklyn Nets, casually altering nearly a dozen more. Every opponent that steps into the paint against San Antonio looks like they’re entering restricted airspace.
At this point, Wembanyama doesn’t just protect the rim; he owns it. Guards pull up early, centers hesitate to roll, and even the most confident slashers are learning to rethink their drives. His reach, timing, and instincts make him a one-man zone, capable of guarding pick-and-rolls, recovering to shooters, and erasing layups in the same possession.
To put his impact in perspective: the Detroit Pistons, who lead the league with 26 blocks as a team, have played roughly 720 combined minutes this season. Wembanyama has played just over 98.
It’s the kind of dominance that makes advanced stats seem almost pointless. The eye test alone tells the story. He’s altering the geometry of every game he plays in. His 8-foot wingspan gives him a defensive range that no system can prepare for. Even the Spurs’ coaching staff admits they’re still learning how to design a defense around something the league has never seen before.
Offensively, he’s just as unstoppable. Averaging over 33 points per night on absurd efficiency, Wembanyama is blending footwork, touch, and shooting range with the confidence of a veteran superstar. But it’s his defense, those 18 blocks, that’s making headlines.
What’s even scarier? He’s doing all this while the Spurs are still missing De’Aaron Fox, their new backcourt addition, who has yet to make his season debut. Despite that, San Antonio is 3–0, looking like a team years ahead of schedule and powered by a player who might already be the league’s most valuable two-way force.
Wembanyama would have won the DPOY award last year if injuries hadn’t cut his season short. This year, barring disaster, it’s not even a debate. He’s the runaway favorite for DPOY, and increasingly, a serious MVP candidate.
Three games in, and the message is clear: Victor Wembanyama isn’t part of the NBA’s future; he is the NBA’s present. And right now, he’s blocking everyone’s path to the rim, and possibly, to the MVP trophy.
