Entering the 2023 NBA Draft, Victor Wembanyama was the most hyped prospect since LeBron James. Playing overseas in France, the NBA would be the first chance for many in North America to see him play other than highlights. The spotlight would be on him at the tender age of 19 (he turned 20 on January 4).
On Sunday, his San Antonio Spurs defeated the Brooklyn Nets in overtime, 122-115. The 2023 first-overall pick made a significant impact in overtime, punctuated by a timely block on a Dennis Schroder shot attempt. Wembanyama filled the box score as well. He finished the game with 33 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, and seven blocks.
Victor Wembanyama Records Another Historic Performance in Win
Rare Stat Line by Wenbanyama Previously Accomplished by Only a Few
Wembanyana’s final stat line from Sunday’s game is one that has rarely been seen in the history of the NBA.
Blocks became an official stat in the NBA in the 1973-74 season. Since then, Wembanyama became the fourth player to total at least 30 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, and seven blocks in a game. He joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley, and Joel Embiid in compiling those numbers in one game.
It is the fifth time this season that Wembanyama has recorded at least seven blocks. He has 36 double-doubles in his 60 outings.
Improving as Season Has Gone Along
The Spurs are not a very good team at 15-53, as was expected, even with the addition of Wembanyama. This has caused Wembanyama to be thrust into needing to play an enormous role right from the get-go.
In the first 26 games of his rookie season, Wenbanyama shot 43.3% from the field, 27.8% on three-point tries, and 77.1% from the free throw line. He was averaging more turnovers (3.3) than assists (2.8).
He has been a much more efficient scorer in his following 34 games. During that time, Wembanyama has seen his shooting improve to 49.2% from the field, 36.1% from beyond the arc, and 82.3% from the charity stripe. While his turnovers have slightly gone up (3.5), he has averaged more assists (4.0).
Wembanyama’s 3.5 blocks per game give him a sizable lead over second-place Walker Kessler, averaging 2.6. His 20.8 scoring average places him 38th in the league and his 10.4 rebounds rank 12th.
Runaway Rookie of the Year Favorite?
For the first few months of the season, Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder looked like the top rookie. Not only was he very impactful, but his Thunder were having much more success than Wembanyama’s Spurs.
With Wembanyama clearly getting more comfortable as the season has gone along, many believe that is no longer the case. Wenbanyama is now seen as the heavy favorite to take home Rookie of the Year. Wembanyama is now at a crazy -5000, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, while Holmgren is listed at +2000.
In other words, expect Wembanyama to become the third Spurs player to be named Rookie of the Year after team legends David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
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