Victor Wembanyama did a lot of things to illicit a child-like giddy feeling among Spurs fans in his rookie campaign. Whether it was his poster dunks that made other bigs look petite, his shammgod on four-time Defensive Player of the Year, or one of the many other abnormal spectacles, Wemby is good for giving San Antonio fans plenty to laugh about. But there’s nothing better than watching the various ways the Alien can destroy a shot attempt.
We’ve seen him block three-point attempts after being isolated on the perimeter and reject potential posters from would-be dunkers coming down the lane on a fast break. Time after time, he embarrasses players who test him, sometimes even sending shots back with a volleyball-style spike. It’s truly elite entertainment. Next season, he’ll continue his shot-blocking escapades, making his way up the all-time blocks list.
Wembanyama is going to leapfrog a large number of players in blocks next season
Victor ended his rookie year with 254 blocks. It was the most in the NBA by far and catapulted him up the Spurs all-time blocks list to number 16. If he adds another 250 to his career total next season, he’ll enter the top-10, landing at 7 just ahead of LaMarcus Aldridge (471). He can realistically reach the top three by the end of his third season.
Currently, Artis Gilmore sits at that spot with 700 blocks, but the jump from third to second place will take Wemby some time. David Robinson is second on the list with 2,954 blocks, while Tim Duncan holds the record with 3,020. Reaching the two best-shot blockers in Spurs history will require years of work. In the meantime, he’ll leapfrog an impressive number of active players.
Brook Lopez has the most career blocks in the NBA among active players (1912), and Wembanyama’s (254) doesn’t crack the top 100, but it’s not far off. Mikal Bridges shares spot 100 with Drew Eubanks; they both have 274 rejections. It’s easy to see Wemby entering the top 60 next season when you look at the list and realize a lot of guards and small forwards are on the list due to longevity. John Collins sits at 50 with 438, and he only had 61 blocks last year.
It’s fascinating to watch a player who is so young shoot up the leaderboards in various stats. More so when he plays for your favorite team. Wembanyama is going to do unfathomable things in his career. We’re fortunate to bear witness.
