San Antonio Spurs' Doug McDermott Says Victor Wembanyama Gives Team Defensive Freedom

Besides his lengthy frame and incredible defensive presence, Wembanyama has one key trait about his game that sticks out above the rest, and San Antonio Spurs veteran Doug McDermott made that very clear.

As impressive as a 7-4, 19-year-old rookie is to the NBA's laypeople, his unique talent, frame and mentality are equally captivating for his own teammates, if not more. 

Working with Victor Wembanyama since he was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in late June, coach Gregg Popovich's squad has been able to experience what the rookie brings to the table firsthand. Whether it be his shot-blocking ability, his shiftiness on offense or even his passing, Wembanyama truly is talented. 

His teammates know it, Popovich knows it. Everybody knows it. But that doesn't make some of his on-court antics any less impressive. 

At least not to Spurs forward Doug McDermott.

"[Wembanyama] is incredible to watch," McDermott said of his rookie teammate. "He does some things that you can't really explain."

Oct 13, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts during the first half against the Miami Heat at Frost Bank Center / © Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

In his limited amount of playing time for the Spurs — both at Summer League and during preseason — Wembanyama has shown that he's not just all talk, but McDermott and the rest of his teammates already knew that.

"He's just so coordinated for how tall he is," McDermott said. "He's a very unselfish player who can make any play, and he's very comfortable shooting from anywhere. It's going to be a lot of fun [with him] this year." 

"Fun" is certainly a word to describe Wembanyama's Spurs. There's a reason that the entirety of the NBA world has their eyes locked in on the rookie and that San Antonio has a game plan designed to get him involved early and often. 

But there is one key aspect of Wembanyama's game that not only puts the team in a good position, but it greatly impacts the players individually, too: his defense.

"I feel a little bit better about getting blown by now," McDermott said with a laugh. "His [presence] gives us a lot of freedom [as defenders]. You can be more aggressive on the ball. You can filter [players] one way and send them to Victor. He'll take care of it. 

"You feel like you can be more of a defender."

Wembanyama — in his two preseason games — has averaged two blocks per game to go along with his intermittent steals. He's made some defenders completely alter their attack at the rim, but also made post-heavy lineups struggle, which makes sense.

"He definitely protects the paint," McDermott said. "I think he'll dominate on that end of the floor."

There's more to Wembanyama than meets the eye, however.

"I'm just surprised by how good of a passer he is," McDermott said. "European players definitely have a great [basketball] IQ coming over here. They know how to play and they know what they're seeing out there. ... He's got such great vision." 

So, between his strong defensive presence, uplifting personality and sky-high ceiling, Wembanyama has ample room to become a true NBA superstar. He's earned the praise from the media, from the coaches and now, his teammates.

A 7-4, 19-year-old rookie just might be the next NBA sensation, though if you ask McDermott, he'd tell you that he and the rest of the Spurs knew that already.