Trae Young did not hesitate when he was handed one of the NBA’s favorite hypothetical debates. Asked to Start, Bench or Cut between Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama, Young chose Wembanyama to start, Giannis to come off the bench and Jokic to be cut.

“Probably start, Wimby. I’ma bench Giannis. Bench Giannis. Cut, Joker,” Young said.

The answer immediately put Jokic at the center of the conversation, but Young’s reasoning was less about career accomplishments and more about what Wembanyama can do on both ends of the floor.

When asked if he genuinely considered Wembanyama the best player in the NBA, Young stopped short of making that claim.

“I mean, I’m not saying he’s the best player in the league, but he’s got, like… Just can do so much on both sides of the ball,” Young said.

Young then explained what makes Wembanyama such a difficult matchup, drawing from his own experience attacking the Spurs.

Trae Young Explains Why Wembanyama Got the Nod Over Jokic

Young pointed to Wembanyama’s positioning in pick-and-rolls and handoffs as one of the biggest problems for opposing guards.

“One thing about the Spurs that makes them so elite, especially defensively, that I noticed when we played them, when I’m coming off of, like, handoffs, or I’m coming off of even, like, a pick and roll or something, and Wimby’s there, he’s up to drop,” Young said.

That positioning can take away the lob while still allowing Wembanyama to recover toward the rim.

“The only shot that’s really available is the mid-range, like the floater in the mid-range, because you can’t throw the lob, because he’s up, and he’s kind of impacting the ball, and then he’s back,” Young explained.

Young recalled trying to test Wembanyama with a lob himself.

“By the time the ball is coming down for the lob, he’s already back at the rim,” Young said.

For Young, that is what makes Wembanyama’s defensive presence different. The Spurs center does not necessarily need to block the shot to affect the possession.

“Yeah, he makes you think, even if he doesn’t block it. Like, he makes you second-guess yourself,” Young said.

Young also explained how Wembanyama’s presence changes things for the other four defenders. Because the big man can protect the rim while handling the action around the paint, San Antonio’s other defenders can stay closer to shooters.

“So that allows their other defenders, who are also good defenders, to fan out. So, I mean, Wimby does a lot defensively,” Young said.

Young was careful to separate that assessment from a comparison of the three players’ careers.

“I’m not saying he’s better, like, as far as accolades and all-time and all these things,” Young said.

Jokic is a three-time MVP and NBA champion, while Giannis is a two-time MVP and NBA champion. Wembanyama is entering his fourth NBA season and is coming off his first Defensive Player of the Year award. He became the first unanimous winner of the award in 2025-26 and also finished third in MVP voting.

That makes Young’s answer more about the specific challenge Wembanyama presents than a definitive ranking of the three stars. Jokic and Giannis have already built championship résumés, while Wembanyama is still adding to his.

But when Young was asked who he would want to start, bench and cut in that particular hypothetical, he made his order clear: Wembanyama first, Giannis second and Jokic last.