When the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs faced off on Tuesday night, many may have glossed over the matchup, seeing little more than an NBA Finals contender going against a rebuilding team.
Yet, with Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama taking the court, it was a battle of titans. Jokic is averaging 26.4 points, 12.3 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game. Wembanyama is averaging 21.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.5 blocks per game.
In a hard-fought win for the Nuggets, Jokic finished Tuesday’s contest with 42 points, 16 rebounds, six rebounds, two blocks, and one steal. His counterpart tallied a near quadruple-double with 23 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, nine blocks, and one steal. It was one of the best big man battles this season, and Wembanyama left quite the impression on the Nuggets.
Nuggets Buy Victor Wembanyama Hype: ‘Future of the NBA’
Following the game, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone gave a detailed assessment of Wembanyama:
“With his unique length and shot-blocking ability, he’s the future of the NBA,” Malone says, per Paul Garcia of Project Spurs. “We’re watching the ascension of the next great player in the NBA.”
“If you’re going to go out there and have 23 points, 15 rebounds, nine blocks, and eight assists; there’s not much that young man can’t do. So, he’s in the right organization with the right coach to help him get better and learn. He’s a hell of a talent.”
Comparing Wembanyama to his own highly-touted pivot, Malone sees more differences than similarities. Pre-draft expectation and their draft position, to start. Then there are the differences in their physical profiles. The slender Wembanyama is taller, more fluid, and bouncier than the burly Jokic.
“… One was taken [first overall] and was considered a foregone conclusion for five years it seemed, and one was [selected 41st], so I think everybody’s fully expected to see what Victor Wembanyama’s done,” Malone says, per Ryan Blackburn of Mile High Sports. “That’s the great thing about Nikola is that it was a complete shock, a surprise, for him to become the best player in the world.”
“What you see in both of them, again, different players in terms of athleticism, length and all that. Victor leads the NBA in blocks per game, and Nikola will never lead the NBA in blocks per game, but their ability to impact the game, as I just mentioned.”
To note, while Wembanyama was selected No. 1 in the 2023 NBA Draft, his success wasn’t a foregone conclusion. Basketball Hall of Fame inductees like Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley had reservations about how he would fare in the league.
“When you come over here, you definitely got to start all over,” O’Neal says, per Sportscasting’s Joe Kozlowski. “A lot of (international) guys have a lot of hype and came over here, some played out, and some didn’t. So I’m going to be more on the skeptical side like Charles.”
Extraordinary Extraterrestrial
In any case, the entire basketball world believes in Wembanyama now. However, according to Malone, there’s one part of his game that’s being overlooked: playmaking.
“What you’re seeing more and more from Victor is his ability to make each of every one of his teammates better,” Malone says. “That is a common theme amongst all great players throughout the history of this great game.”
“The great players make everyone around them better, and Victor’s doing that more and more as [Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich] continues to put him in new and more situations where he can be the ball handler, he can be the initiator, put him in catch-and-shoot situations, elbow iso situations. And he’s reading the defense and making plays.”
“Really, really impressed with how quick of a learning curve he’s had and the improvement he’s made in just Year 1,” he concludes.
‘The Extraterrestrial’ as Wembanyama has been dubbed, does usually make the highlight reel when he scores or turns away a shot.
After all, he’s the only NBA player with his combination of physical metrics, play style, and talent. However, Malone rightly lauds Wembanyama’s court vision and passing ability. Many stars have excelled as scorers and defenders. Far fewer have complemented their two-way dominance with playmaking.
The Frenchman still needs to work on his post play and touch all around the court. His decision-making will improve with film study and experience. Nonetheless, Wembanyama has an incredible baseline for his career.
This offseason, it may be prudent for him to link up with Jokic for a workout if they’re open to the idea. Jokic, now 29, is the best low-post scorer in the NBA and one of the best passers. Wembanyama could learn a lot from the Mile High MVP.
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