Victor Wembanyama and Jeremy Sochan can be league’s best defensive duo

When you hold a player like Luka Doncic to just 18 points, it’s clear that something special is happening on the defensive end.

Rarely do we witness a basketball game where Luka Doncic struggles to find his offensive rhythm, but that’s precisely what happened on a Tuesday night in San Antonio. The Spurs welcomed their Texas neighbors, the Dallas Mavericks, with a plan to stifle the current NBA leading scorer, and Jeremy Sohan played a pivotal role in executing that strategy.

With Victor Wembanyama anchoring the defense as he has done superbly over the past month, pairing him with a player like Sochan seems to be a match made in defensive heaven. Throughout this season, the second-year wing has emerged as one of the premier point-of-attack defenders in the league. Undoubtedly, having Victor’s towering presence on the court allows defenders like Sohan to adopt a more aggressive stance. However, the effectiveness of Jeremy’s defense cannot be overstated, as limiting Luka to a mere 22% shooting is a remarkable achievement.

The past ten games have showcased the immense potential of the Spurs’ defense with Wembanyama at the helm. Ranking first in defensive rating is no small feat. Despite Wemby’s superhuman abilities at that end, Sochan has played his part, proving to be a great partner to Wemby. This dynamic duo, both only 20 years old promises to make life extremely difficult for their opponents for years to come.

Kyrie Irving on Wemby’s potential

Following their matchup, Kyrie Irving shared a compelling quote expressing his admiration for Wembanyama. The seasoned guard remarked on Wemby’s guard-like timing and his ability to bait opponents into taking shots just to be swatted away.

Adding to Wembanyama’s extraordinary season, he might be on the verge of achieving something reminiscent of prime Hakeem Olajuwon.

Few photos capture the relationship between Coach Popovich and Wembanyama as perfectly as this one.