Victor Wembanyama, the rookie sensation for the San Antonio Spurs, has wowed people so far this season, and lately, he has picked up his individual production.
He has also shown a fair amount of character, and after the Spurs lost 109-99 to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, he made a statement that displayed his humility when he said he’s willing to be sent to the G League if he doesn’t play well.
“I like to be coached and sent to the G League if I don’t play the right way,” @wemby said.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) January 15, 2024
The 7-foot-4 phenom is averaging 19.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.2 blocked shots and 3.0 assists a game, and he has been improving his shooting accuracy in recent games. On Monday, he shot 12-of-18 and scored 26 points to go along with 13 rebounds and five rejections.
He has been on a minutes restriction ever since he turned his ankle while stepping on a ball boy’s foot prior to a Dec. 23 loss, but head coach Gregg Popovich said on Friday the big man could be taken off that restriction not too long from now.
The France native is already a terror defensively with his incredible length and ability to frequently block and alter shots. Although his offensive game is not fully developed at this point, his immense potential on that end of the floor is obvious.
He appears to be the type of player who wants the ball and will step things up in crunch time, and even before he was drafted last June, he said he wants to win an NBA championship as soon as possible. That’s the type of talk people rarely hear from a rookie, as incoming pro players are usually more concerned with establishing themselves individually and perhaps their newfound status off the court.
The problem for Wembanyama is that the Spurs have been an awful team and have almost no support around him. At 7-32, they’re tied with the Washington Wizards for the NBA’s second-worst record.
At this point, San Antonio could very well nab the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft and use it on a legitimate co-star for Wembanyama.
