Victor Wembanyama should embrace lesson that Rudy Gobert had to learn

Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama have more in common than their French ties. They're two of the best defenders in the league, with their ability to protect the rim at a high level. But Wemby can learn a thing or two from the Stifle Tower. Gobert had to master guarding further away from the basket to be more effective in the playoffs.

That's an unavoidable lesson for any young center in the modern era. Getting exposed for struggling to guard on the perimeter seems like a canonical event for many players at that position, and we saw that play out for Rudy Gobert over the years. That was also the case for Victor last season, specifically in the NBA Finals.

But experience is the best teacher. Players have to go through things like this if they want to improve. Like Gobert, Wemby should acknowledge those weaknesses, take in the criticism, and put in the work to become better. That's the only way for him to live up to his lofty defensive expectations.

Great shot blockers can't just be great shot blockers anymore

The list of defensive responsibilities for big men changed over time. Back in the early 2000s, it was normal for them to stay on the interior to protect the basket, with their impact largely measured by how much they could limit scoring opportunities in that range.

But the game looks different now. There's more emphasis on floor spacing, and coaches also make it a point to have elite ball-handlers to hunt the weakest perimeter defenders. No longer can bigs always count on manning the interior for an entire possession. They have to expect that, at some point, they'll be tasked with guarding quicker players in space.

Rudy Gobert had to learn this lesson throughout his time with the Utah Jazz and earlier years in Minnesota. In the playoffs, he was pulled further from the basket to cover shooters or guard isolations. He struggled initially, but over these last few seasons, he's turned that into one of his signature defensive strengths.

The same must happen for Wemby. While he put on an exceptional shot-blocking display in the 2026 playoffs, the Knicks had their way with him at times when he was tasked with guarding in space. Jalen Brunson, in particular, won a handful of his one-on-one matchups against the DPOY. The question now is, will Victor learn from this as Gobert did?

Wemby can get things right next postseason

Luckily, the signs are there for Victor to be even more productive in the postseason when guarding in space. He's already an extremely mobile player with a knack for covering a lot of ground defensively, flying from one end of the court to the other.

San Antonio's roster setup will allow him to leverage that mobility even better next season. One of his biggest problems in the Finals was his heavy usage, which left him gassed later in games. The Spurs have a deep rotation of centers who can sub in and give him some rest, so it won't be as easy for quicker guards or perimeter players to take advantage of him in space.

Victor has the tools to patch up his biggest defensive weaknesses next season, and that should scare opponents. He's already devastating on that side of the floor, so an improved version of him will make life even more difficult for them.

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