In the aftermath of a hard-fought series against the San Antonio Spurs, the looming presence of star center Victor Wembanyama still stands out in the minds of many Timberwolves players.
For two-way swingman Jaden McDaniels, however, Victor left an especially powerful impression. Despite stellar contributions from Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, Keldon Johnson, and others, Wembanyama’s play defined the series, and McDaniels says it was unlike anything he faced before.
“They did a good job, Wemby is probably the greatest defender I’ve ever played,” said McDaniels in his exit interview. “Him being so tall and so long, it was hard to get to the rim. That’s pretty much the most part. I was able to get to my spots, but playing Wemby, he’s huge. He’s so tall. He’s the greatest defender I’ve ever played against.”
McDaniels is seen as a core member of the young Timberwolves, but he didn’t shoot well in the Semifinals. Through six games, he averaged 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 40.5% shooting from the field. He and the rest of the Timberwolves were kept mostly in check by the Spurs’ elite defense, which ranked eighth in the league in 2025-26, allowing 111.5 points per game.
While Victor Wembanyama is hardly the only reason for their success defensively, he’s at the heart of everything they do. Since he was drafted first overall in 2023, he’s been renowned for his defensive impact, which has turned the Spurs into a premium title contender. This season, in 64 games, he averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.1 blocks on 51.2% shooting and 34.9% shooting from three.
He effectively shut down the Timberwolves’ offense by himself, and now the Spurs sit just eight wins away from the championship. But is he really on pace to match the likes of Bill Russell, Dennis Rodman, and Hakeem Olajuwon? With just three seasons under his belt, it’s still too early to say with Wembanyama, but he’s certainly not far off.
For starters, the 7’4″ superstar just became the youngest Defensive Player of the Year in NBA history at 22, setting an incredible precedent for the years to come. Statistically, he has led the NBA in blocks per game in each of his first two seasons, averaging historic numbers not seen since the late 1990s. To date, he’s averaging 3.5 blocks per game for his career, higher than Hakeem’s career average of 3.1 blocks per game. What’s more, as a mobile, modern-day big man, Victor can defend on the perimeter as well, where he excels at contesting shooters and closing distances with his long wingspan.
Ultimately, when it comes to the defensive side of the ball, Victor really doesn’t have any weaknesses, and it’s why McDaniels had no answer for what he was doing out there. The only one who can slow down the star big man is himself, and it’s a lesson his opponents are learning all too quickly.
For better or worse, how the Timberwolves proceed from here will set the stage for years to come. With Edwards and McDaniels, they have the talent and attitude to make NBA history, but it will likely require getting past Victor Wembanyama first, who is the NBA’s new gatekeeper in the West. Unless the Wolves have a plan to counter his presence, they will continue to struggle keeping up with his rising Spurs team.
