Expectations were through the roof for San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama entering the NBA. The first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Wembanyama was considered the best prospect the game has seen since LeBron James, talented enough to turn around even the most downtrodden franchise right away.
While the victories haven’t come as often as the Spurs would have liked, they have to be thrilled about what they have seen from Wembanyama to this point. He has been as good as advertised, and in some regards, even better.
Wembanyama is a legitimate difference-maker on both ends of the court. He is averaging 20.5 points on 46.6 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from 3-point range and 80.9 percent from the foul line. Oddly enough, he has been shooting better this season off the dribble than on spot-ups, which is encouraging moving forward.
Turnovers have been an issue for him at times, as he is averaging 3.4 per game compared to 3.2 assists. But he will get better with the ball in his hands once he gets stronger and the supporting cast around him improves as well.
Defensively, an argument can be made that Wembanyama is already one of the most disruptive players in the NBA. He is averaging 10.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 3.2 blocks per game, with the swats leading the league.
What he is accomplishing has legitimately never been seen before. According to WembyMuse on X, Wembanyama is the first player in NBA history to record 150+ blocks, 150+ steals and 75+ made 3-pointers in a single season.
The first player in NBA history with:
— WembyMuse (@Wemby_Muse) February 22, 2024
150+ BLK
150+ AST
75+ 3PM
in a season. We're at the All-Star break. pic.twitter.com/N3ZNd3RBiq
Take a moment to soak in just how wild of an accomplishment this is for Wembanyama. He did something no player has done in NBA history, before the All-Star Break in his rookie season, all while being on a minutes restriction.
Wembanyama is going to put together a season for the ages as a rookie when he is still navigating life in the NBA. Imagine what kind of numbers he is going to put up as a seasoned veteran who isn’t on a strict limitation for how much he will play.
Saying the sky’s the limit for Wembanyama may not even be enough at this point as we have never seen a player like him in the NBA before. He isn’t in the MVP race this season, but expect him to be a perennial contender very soon.
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