Victor Wembanyama delivered a masterpiece against the New York Knicks on Friday night, finishing with 40 points, 20 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Wembanyama led the Spurs to a 130-126 win in overtime and after the game, Jalen Brunson had some high praise for him.
“He’s gonna be one of the greatest players this game has seen," Brunson said. "Just the way he’s built, what he’s been able to do so far. Got a lot of respect for him and it’s definitely tough to get a shot up and in over him.”
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Provided he stays healthy, there is no reason to believe Wembanyama won't go down as one of the greatest ever. The Frenchman came into the league as arguably the most hyped prospect ever and has not disappointed.
That performance against the Knicks meant Wembanyama became the first rookie to have 40 points and 20 rebounds in a game since Shaquille O'Neal in 1993. Earlier this season, the 20-year-old also became the youngest player in NBA history to record a 5x5 game, after putting up 27 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals, and 5 blocks against the Los Angeles Lakers.
We are witnessing quite simply one of the greatest rookie seasons ever. Wembanyama is now averaging 21.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.4 blocks per game in 2023-24. His Spurs having the worst record in the Western Conference at 18-56 is the only knock on Wembanyama at this point, but he should still win Rookie of the Year by quite a margin.
As for Brunson, he too put in a special performance in that game between the Knicks and the Spurs, finishing with 61 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal. He was just one point shy of Carmelo Anthony's franchise record of 62 points, which was set back in 2014.
Damian Lillard Says It Won't Be Long Before Victor Wembanyama Is The Best Player In The NBA
Brunson isn't the only star guard in the East who has showered the youngster with some high praise. Damian Lillard believes Wembanyama will become the best player in the NBA very soon.
"I think we’ve always been extremely impressed with Kevin Durant doing it at 6'11", now you got a dude (that's) 7'5" doing the same thing," Lillard continued. "It is just getting crazy. I think Wemby is special. I think how competitive he is is what surprised me the most and that’s what makes me think that very soon I can see him being the best player in the league."
I can see Wembanyama becoming the best player in the NBA in a few years if he stays healthy. As a rookie, he is already in the running for Defensive Player of the Year and will only get better on both ends of the floor as time goes by.
Draymond Green, meanwhile, said Wembanyama is already a top-20 player in the NBA. We don't see stars give such lavish praise to rookies all that often and it speaks to the kind of impression the big man has made on players around the league. I hope the Spurs can surround Wembanyama with more talent in the coming years and you would trust an organization like theirs to do so.
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