Wembanyama's controversial spot doesn't push the envelope far enough

It's time for a new ranking of the top 99 players in the NBA, so FanSided released their annual NBA99 list for all to consume and argue over. Victor Wembanyama came in at number 10, despite not playing the last two months of the season. The crew who compiled this list was right to list the Alien in the top 10, but they made blatant errors that need addressing.

Everyone will have their gripes because these things are subjective. The problem comes because fans expect analysts to have some common sense. They're considered experts for a reason, right? So, when they release something that has egregious information on it, people are going to challenge it. Especially when it's about something that so many people love: basketball.

Wembanyama's case as the eighth-best player in the NBA

The first thing we need to do is make sure everyone understands who was ranked in front of Vic. The players listed in order go as follows: Nikola Jokic (1), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2), Giannis Antetokounmpo (3), Luka Doncic (4), Jayson Tatum (5), Steph Curry (6), LeBron James (7), Donovan Mitchell (8), Jalen Brunson (9), Victor Wembanyama (10).

Before I jump into why Wembanyama is obviously above Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell, allow me to inform those who haven't read the article that Anthony Davis is behind Vic at the 11th spot. It's funny to see after Davis' complaints earlier in the season, insinuating Wembanyama was undeserving of Defensive Player of the Year in favor of himself.

Nobody would take AD over Wemby to start their franchise based on any basketball skill. Let's just be clear about that. That will be viewed as a dig at Davis, and it kind of is, but it's mostly a definitive statement that Vic is transcendent in a way the former Laker is not.

Back to Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson; they're both good players in their own right, but I wouldn't consider either one of them great players. Mitchell has improved his defense, but he also benefits from a strong defensive cast around him. Brunson is a liability on defense entirely.

Defense is too important—especially considering how dangerous offenses have become—to ignore its worth in these discussions. Wembanyama is the best defender in the league by a wide margin. He alters the floor in a way that nobody else comes close to. His presence alone took the Spurs from a bottom defensive team when he's on the bench to a top defensive team when he's in the lineup.

When you get into what he can do on the offensive side, anyone who watched the Cavs will tell you that Mitchell took a step back. Some of it was to empower his teammates, but that doesn't really account for a dip in efficiency, which he had. When you look at the raw numbers, Mitchell averaged 24 points, and Brunson averaged 26 during the regular season.

Well, Wembanyama averaged 24, so how much better offensively could they possibly be? Not very. The defense, however, is so far in Vic's favor that he should be ranked above both of those players. It will be made obvious when the Spurs finish putting the right players around the Alien so he can thrive the way we know he's capable, but it's already easy to see that he's a more impactful presence than either one of those guys.

Wembanyama fits everywhere

You could take them off their teams right now and substitute Vic, and he would make them better immediately. Darius Garland running pick-and-rolls with Wembanyama while having those shooters on the perimeter would be a nightmare. The Knicks don't have another point guard even close to Brunson's level, so that situation would need a bit more tweaking to get it running smoothly.

But they could have added one of the free agent point guards available last summer, like Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, or Tyus Jones, and they would have been just fine. Adding Jalen Brunson or Donovan Mitchell in place of Wembanyama to the Spurs roster does absolutely nothing more for the team than Vic could do.

Again, it sounds disrespectful, but it's not meant to be. Victor Wembanyama is just that good. He's been that good, and he's only getting better. Nobody, except maybe Nico Harrison, is taking those guys over the Alien right now, so let's be serious with these lists.