Wembanyama is the most dominant defender in the NBA, point blank. He is going to blow past Rudy Gobert's four DPOY awards in the French basketball canon. His 8-foot wingspan and uncanny mobility changes the geometry of the court for opposing offenses. Few players dare challenge him, and even fewer emerge unscathed on shot attempts at the rim.

Three straight Spurs games had gone down to the final possession heading into Monday, heart palpitations becoming a fact of life for the team and its fans. As the Spurs went into the fourth quarter at Washington ahead by only four against the lowly Wizards,