HHailed as the most promising player since LeBron James, he has been called an all-time great and is set apart for his 7-foot-4 height when Victor Wembunyama Wembanyama had high expectations when he was drafted first overall by the San Antonio Spurs last year.
He put in an eye-catching performance for Parisian club Metropolitans 92 in two exhibition games against the G League Ignite last October in Las Vegas. The slender frame and projection were tempered by patience for a young player who was not only taking his first steps in the NBA but also moving to a new continent.
However, the 20-year-old is averaging 21.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a league-high 3.6 blocks per game, coupled with jaw-dropping game highlights shared on social media nearly every night. Why has surpassed the sky-high price set for him in his rookie season. Back in Europe, those who fought against Wembanyama during his rise largely, but not entirely, anticipated this. this quickly.
“I knew he was going to be good, but I didn’t expect him to be this good,” said U.S. defender Keith Hornsby, who played against Wembanyama in France. “I thought he was going to have more growing pains when he got to the NBA. I wasn’t sure if he was healthy enough to survive the majority of an 82-game season, but he’s proven he can.
“You could see last year in France, his talent is undeniable. A lot of newbies go through some growing pains. But he has stepped up and become a more efficient player than he was in Europe. A lot of that Coming from the way the NBA plays. If you look at the stats, you’ll see the games are eight minutes longer and there’s more games. The style of play is more open. For Victor’s style of play, that’s a perfect fit. “
European basketball scout Jason Filippi agrees. “My expectations were very high, but I didn’t expect him to be a consistently dominant player day in and day out,” Filippi said. “He’s always been in great physical condition. Even though he’s thin, because of his size, he doesn’t need to overpower people. He just shoots them. It’s the same thing defensively. If you put him in the post, you’re going to There’s nowhere to go because he’s too long.”
Last year in the French Professional League A, Wembanyama averaged 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.0 blocks in 32.1 minutes per game. Few would have thought the then-teenager would replicate — let alone surpass — those numbers in his first NBA season, but that’s what he accomplished.
While his jump shot still needs work, he has shown improvement in that area. He averaged 5.5 three-point attempts per game and shot 32.2% from the field, a significant improvement from the 27.5% he took five times with the French team last year.
“He seems more confident in his shooting,” said Nicola Alberani, sporting director of French club Strasbourg. “He’s shooting the ball faster. He’s getting a quicker release and making quicker decisions. The way he plays the game hasn’t changed much; it’s just faster.”
American power forward Chris Horton also played against Wembanyama in France and was impressed with the young star’s attitude. “From what I heard, he was more aggressive,” Horton said. “The European style of play is to let the game come to you. You play within a system. He realized he could do whatever he wanted and no one could stop him. He was a real competitor. He hated losing. . You know he’s going to attack you. His attitude of wanting to win and dominate everybody, that’s the biggest difference I see in him.”
Hornsby said Wembanyama did things that no other player could. “Any night you spend with Victor, you might see something on the basketball court that you’ve never seen before,” Hornsby added. “He’s built like an alien. He does some great things that no one else can do. He’s had a few dunks from an area that no one thought was possible, but he found a way. A way to do that; sometimes even in contact and confrontation situations, which makes it even more amazing. It shows his coordination that made him so special in the first place.”
While Vunbanyama’s offense is noteworthy, it’s on defense that he’s the real game-changer. As the front-runner in the race for Rookie of the Year, he is also expected to become the first rookie to be selected to the NBA’s All-Defensive Team since Tim Duncan, the Spurs’ other No. 1 pick. It’s not uncommon to see opponents driving to the basket, only to swerve and pass the ball away when the Frenchman is there.
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“He’s truly a unicorn — a 7-foot-4 kid who can do all kinds of moves in the paint and shoot like a guard,” Filippi said. “But I was more impressed by his defensive highlights, where he could block shots from long range and make up space in an instant.”
But if Wembunyama’s first season in the NBA has proven anything, it’s that he can’t win games on his own. There’s a reason the Spurs chose him – they had the worst record in the league last year, and this season isn’t much better; they’ve been in the lower reaches of the Western Conference for most of the season and were eliminated not long ago. Out of playoff contention.
“Can he average 30 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks per game? Of course, but the team has to improve,” Filippi said. “His career progress will parallel the team’s progress. San Antonio knows this. They need an elite point guard to complement Victor.”
Wembunyama is so far ahead of the curve in terms of his individual development – already so comprehensive and consistent – that further improvements would be a case of refinement rather than a wholesale reimagining of his repertoire.
“I think he can be a 40 percent three-point shooter,” Alberani said. “I think he’s going to win multiple individual awards because his game is so exciting and impressive.”
Horton, on the other hand, believes Wembanyama is exactly where he needs to be.
“If he continues to do what he’s doing for the next 15 years, how can you not say he’s one of the greatest players?”
