Victor Wembanyama’s sophomore year in the NBA came to a screeching halt, and the basketball world hasn’t stopped buzzing since. The Spurs’ All-Star has yet to set a timeline for his return, but word around the league is that he’s been back on the court in Los Angeles, showing flashes of his old dominance. The promising signs have fans daring to believe he could still finish what he started, especially that unfinished Defensive Player of the Year chase. But not everyone’s convinced, with one former champion pointing out the flaw that could derail it all.

Iman Shumpert didn’t hold back when asked about Wemby’s DPOY chances. On the All In Podcast, he admitted, “My thing with Defensive Player of the Year… like there was times Marc Gasol was there where he was set when he was winning Defensive Player of the Year that I’m like, ‘Yeah, I ain’t got that right now. I need to do a floater. I need to do this.’ Like he done beat me to the spot already.”

“I see these young boys, they see Wemby, they take off. Oh yeah. Defensive Player of the Year. Usually, you kind of know, like, let me leave that alone. And that’s what I don’t see in him yet. I think he gonna have to gain that Giannis weight. He gonna get it though. I can’t wait till you get that Giannis, but he going to be a scary m—,” he further added.

That’s a pretty sharp critique—and it makes sense when you think about the standard someone like Marc Gasol set in 2013. Gasol, remember, became the first Grizzlies player and the first European ever to win DPOY, and he did it by anchoring one of the league’s toughest defenses. With him on the court, Memphis gave up just 95.4 points per 100 possessions, compared to 102.2 when he sat. It wasn’t just the blocks or rebounds (1.7 and 7.8 a night)—it was his ability to beat guys to their spots, command the paint, and direct traffic. That’s the kind of presence Shumpert is saying he doesn’t quite see in Wemby yet.

And statistically, Wembanyama is already a monster defensively—his block percentage sits at an absurd 10.2% across his first two seasons, and he’s piling up defensive win shares (7.2 in just 117 career games). His sophomore year was on track for something special, with a 13.7% block rate and 2.8 defensive win shares in only 46 games before his injury—a blood clot in his right shoulder. He had 74 more blocks than any other player in basketball, stood among just seven centers with 50-plus steals, and contested more shots per game than almost anyone in the league. That’s elite. But Shumpert’s point isn’t about numbers — it’s about fear factor.

Then comes the weight factor, and here’s where Giannis Antetokounmpo’s example looms large. Like Wemby, Giannis entered the league as a skinny kid with sky-high potential. What changed his trajectory was gradual strength gain — five to seven pounds every year, as he once said, letting his body develop naturally. That extra weight turned Giannis into a two-time MVP and a defensive wrecking ball, able to absorb contact, hold his ground, and still switch like a guard.

So yes, Wemby is already rewriting the record books at 21, but Shumpert’s critique hits on the gap between being great and being untouchable. And if — or when — he does, Shumpert might be right: we’ll be looking at a scary monster the league simply hasn’t seen before.

NBA Insiders pick Spurs star as best player by 2030

If you’ve been wondering who might carry the NBA torch once legends like LeBron James and Stephen Curry step aside, the league may have already given you an answer. All signs point to San Antonio, where 21-year-old Victor Wembanyama has become the player insiders are betting on to define the next era of basketball. ESPN recently asked 20 coaches, scouts, and executives a simple but revealing question: Who will be the best player in the NBA in 2030? The response was overwhelming. Sixteen of those votes went to Wembanyama, leaving just scraps for Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jayson Tatum. It wasn’t just a prediction—it was a statement that what we’re seeing already feels inevitable.

And the numbers back it up. Before injuries ended his sophomore season early, he was averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and nearly four blocks a night—while shooting 47.6% from the floor and 35.2% from deep. That kind of two-way dominance is rare for a player still years away from his physical prime. Zoom out across his first two seasons, and the picture is just as convincing: 22.5 points, 10.8 boards, 3.8 assists, and 3.7 blocks per game, paired with an 80.9% mark at the free-throw line and a player efficiency rating of 23.5. In other words, he’s already putting up superstar production at an age when most players are still learning how to survive in the league.

The gap between Wembanyama and his peers is as much about trajectory as it is about talent. Dončić is already an established star, Gilgeous-Alexander has blossomed into one of the league’s most dangerous guards, and Tatum’s all-around scoring ability makes him a perennial MVP candidate when healthy. But Wembanyama’s combination of rim protection, perimeter skill, and efficiency has executives convinced he’ll be operating on another level by the time he’s 26. Even Giannis Antetokounmpo weighed in, telling The Athletic’s Brooks Peck, “I think he’s gonna be one of the best players in the league in the next couple of years. I think he will have a very great career moving forward.”

So here’s the real question, and it’s one you should keep in mind as this season unfolds: not if Victor Wembanyama will be the best player in basketball, but when. The Spurs are building around him with young talent, he’s been sharpening his game with legends like Hakeem Olajuwon, and he’s already shown he can tilt games with his presence alone. When you put it all together—the stats, the votes, and the eye test—the league’s next face isn’t hard to see. It’s a 7-foot-3 Frenchman in silver and black, and his time is coming faster than anyone expected.