NBA Rumors: Insiders Feel Victor Wembanyama Can Be Best Defensive Player Ever

Star big man Victor Wembanyama was declared to be a generational talent when the San Antonio Spurs selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, and many believe he's well on his way to fulfilling that expectation.

During an appearance on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN's Tim MacMahon said he's spoken to people around the NBA who think Wembanyama has the potential to be the greatest defensive player to ever play in the league.

"The thing with Victor is, you can reasonably expect for the next 12 or 15 years that he's going to be the most dominant defensive player in the league, maybe the most dominant defensive player that we've ever seen, I've talked to people around the league who think that'll be the case," MacMahon said around the 5:40 mark.

Wembanyama was unanimously named Rookie of the Year this past season after averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals and a league-high 3.6 blocks. He finished second in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Defensive first team.

While his defensive prowess is already apparent, MacMahon noted that there are still some questions about his ceiling on offense. If the 20-year-old can put it all together on both ends, he will dominate the league for years to come.

"The question is how great he will be offensively, and what exactly is he going to be offensively," MacMahon added. "We've talked about, 'Hey, you're not a 7'5" shooting guard.' I think if he settles into being a big man who has some guard skills and uses them selectively, then he's got a chance to be awfully special on that end of the floor as well."