HHailed as the best prospect since LeBron James, labeled as an all-time great in the making and distinguished by his 7-foot-4 frame, expectations were high from the start when Victor Wembanyama was named number one by the San Antonio Spurs last year 1 overall.
He arrived in the United States into a maelstrom of hype, aided by standout performances in a pair of showcase exhibition games against the G League Ignite in Las Vegas last October for Parisian club Metropolitans 92. Concerns arose about the sustainability of his career . The slim frame and projections were tempered by calls for patience with a young player who was not only taking his first steps in the NBA, but also moving to a new continent.
But with averages of 21.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a league-best 3.6 blocks per game, plus near-nightly highlights of spectacular plays shared to everyone’s amazement on social media, the 20 year old somehow surpassed the towering one. bar set for him in his rookie season. Back in Europe, those who came into contact with Wembanyama during his rise saw much of this coming, but not completely this fast.
“I knew he would be good, but I didn’t think he would be this good already,” said American guard Keith Hornsby, who played against Wembanyama in France. “I thought there would be more growing pains for him when he came to the NBA. I was also unsure about his health, whether he could survive most of an 82-game season, but he has shown he can.
“You could see in France last year that the talent he has is undeniable. Many newcomers go through some growing pains. But he has come out and been a more effective player than he was in Europe. A lot of that comes from the way the NBA game is. If you look at the stats, the game lasts eight minutes longer and you have so many more games. The playing style is more open. It fits Victor’s playing style very well.”
Jason Filippi, a Europe-based basketball scout, agrees. “My expectations were very high, but I didn’t expect him to be a dominant player all the time, night in, night out,” Filippi said. “His body has held up well. Even though he is skinny, his height means he doesn’t have to overwhelm people. He just shoots over them. It’s the same on defense. If you post it, you can’t go anywhere because it’s so long.
Last year in the French Pro A league, Wembanyama averaged 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.0 blocks in 32.1 minutes per game. Few expected the then-teenager to repeat — let alone surpass — those numbers in his debut season in the NBA, but that’s what he accomplished.
And while his jump shot is still ripe for improvement, he has already shown growth in that area. His three-point accuracy of 32.2% on 5.5 attempts per game is a marked increase from his 27.5% on 5.0 attempts in France last year.
“He seems to have more confidence in his shooting,” said Nicola Alberani, sporting director of French club SIG Strasbourg. “He’s quicker in taking his shot. He has a quicker release and he makes quicker decisions. His game hasn’t changed much; it’s just faster.”
American power forward Chris Horton, who also played against Wembanyama in France, is impressed by the young star’s attitude. “From what I’ve seen, he’s more aggressive,” Horton said. “The playing style in Europe is that you let the game come to you. You play within a system. He realizes that he can do whatever he wants out there and no one can stop him. And he is a real competitor. He hates losing. You know he’s going to attack you. His attitude of wanting to win and wanting to dominate everyone, that’s the biggest difference I’ve seen in him.”
Hornsby says Wembanyama does things no other player can. “Every night with Victor you might see something you’ve never seen before on a basketball court,” Hornsby adds. ‘It’s built like an alien’s. He does certain highlights that no one else can do. There’s a few dunks he’s had where he’s taken off from an area where no one would think it possible to end up with a dunk, but he’s found a way to do it; sometimes even with contact and during battle, which makes it even more amazing. It shows the kind of coordination he has, which makes him so special to begin with.”
Despite all of Wembanyama’s striking attacks, he is a real game changer in defence. He is the runaway leader in the Rookie of the Year race and is also in the running to be the first rookie to make an NBA All-Defensive team since Tim Duncan, another Spurs No. 1 overall pick. It has become a regular occurrence to see opponents drive to the hoop, only to swerve and pass the ball away as the Frenchman looms beneath the basket.
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“He really is a unicorn: a 7-foot-4 guy who can post up and show different moves and at the same time shoot like a guard,” Filippi said. “But I am more impressed by his defensive qualities, the way he can block a shot by coming from very far away and take up space in a split second.”
But if Wembanyama’s first season in the NBA has proven anything, it’s that he can’t win games on his own. Spurs couldn’t select him for nothing: they had the worst record in the league last year and this season hasn’t been much better in terms of results; they have lived in the lower reaches of the Western Conference for much of the season and were eliminated from the playoffs some time ago.
“Can he average thirty points, fifteen rebounds and five blocks? Absolutely, but the team needs to improve,” says Filippi. “His career progress will parallel the improvement of the team. San Antonio knows this. They need an elite point guard to complement Victor.”
In terms of his individual development, Wembanyama is so far ahead – already so well-rounded and consistent – that further improvements will be a matter of refinement rather than a wholesale rethink of his skills.
“I think he can be a 40% three-point shooter,” Alberani said. “I think he will win several individual prizes because his game is so exciting and impressive.”
Horton, on the other hand, thinks Wembanyama is exactly where he needs to be.
“If he does what he is doing now for the next 15 years, how can you not say he is one of the greatest?”