Ranking the 10 best lockdown defensive prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft

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Victor Wembanyama, Metropolitans 92 – (Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE/AFP via Getty Images) /

Best Defensive Player #1: Victor Wembanyama, Metropolitans 92

It takes a special player to be considered a generational talent at the game’s traditional position for defense. No matter how you slice his game apart and dissect it, Victor Wembanyama looks and plays like a center who could one day reframe what fans and analysts alike consider a top-tier NBA defender.

He’s unfathomably long, which helps him cover more ground vertically and horizontally than his peers, but not all of Wembanyama’s appeal comes from him being taller than everyone. Instead, his instincts, aggression, and quickness are all aspects that combine with his great measurables to make him into the most fearsome shot-blocker in a professional league already:

https://twitter.com/Balldontlie/status/1665430775980859393

Wembanyama figures to immediately improve the San Antonio Spurs, who had a tough defensive year last year and are desperate for a change of pace that only player of his caliber can deliver.

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While it might take some time to fully develop, it’s fair to expect Victor Wembanyama to not only be the best defender in the 2023 draft class but potential the entire NBA in his prime.