Home » Sports » NBA » San Antonio Spurs

Ex-NBA Player Makes Bold Claim About Victor Wembanyama’s Defense

Victor Wembanyama won last year’s Defensive Player of the Year award by unanimous decision, but a former NBA player thinks he is not an elite defender. According to Gilbert Arenas, Wembanyama is not an elite defensive player yet. He argued…

By Rob Andrew Lo · HEAVY

Published: Monday, 12 October 2026 at 6:54 AM

Key Things to Know

Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas claimed Victor Wembanyama is not yet an elite defensive player.
Arenas argued Wembanyama relies strictly on height and struggles to anticipate spins or backdoor cuts.
At age 22, Wembanyama became the youngest player and first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year winner.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas claimed on his show that San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is not an elite defender yet. Arenas argued that Wembanyama relies on his height rather than elite positioning, stating that he struggles to recognize backdoor cuts and spin moves, which forces him to attempt to block every shot.

Despite the criticism, Wembanyama won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award by unanimous decision at age 22. He anchored the Spurs to the 2026 NBA Finals, leading the league with 3.1 blocks per game during the regular season and 3.5 blocks per game in the playoffs.

Read the full article on HEAVY

Ex-NBA Player Makes Bold Claim About Victor Wembanyama’s Defense

More San Antonio Spurs News

Never Miss a Sports Update