He has been hailed as the “single greatest prospect in NBA history” by ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski. Lebron James himself has called him “more like an alien, he’s for sure a generational talent.” Yes, these plaudits have been showered upon French phenom and San Antonio Spurs player, Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama will make his NBA summer league debut at 9 pm ET tonight in front of a full-capacity crowd in Las Vegas against the number 2 pick, Brandon Miller, and the Charlotte Hornets. So why is Wembanyama considered such a highly touted prospect, and what does he bring to the Spurs? Let us discuss three reasons why he will be great in the NBA.
1. Self-creating offense and passing- Most big men in NBA history usually rely on a guard to dump the ball in the post and dominate near the paint. There are very few at Victor’s size that can put the ball on the floor and dribble to create their own offense. While playing in France, Wembanyama has teased NBA fans with the ability to perform post-fadeaways, crossovers, pump-fakes into a stepback, and pump into rim attacks. Yes, he has a lot in his bag of tricks. In terms of his passing, Victor averaged only 2.4 assists per last season, but the kid makes the right reads, and you won’t find him stopping the ball. At 19 years old, he has shown an innate ability to make the best decisions when the ball swings his way, and often it is to a moving teammate. That trait will only get better as NBA coaches bring double and triple teams in his direction as they try to slow him down.
2. Elite Rebounder, Lob Threat, and Rim Protector- Wembanyama boasts a 32-inch vertical leap and an 8-foot wingspan that makes him a nightmare at the rim on the offensive and defensive end. Victor averaged 10.4 rebounds last season, that willl make a double-double threat every time he is on the floor. Also, Champion Head Coach, Gregg Popovich will have his guards utilize Victor’s size by punishing the defense through easy offense, simply throwing it up at the rim for easy dunks. We have seen in Europe that there’s not much the opposing defense can do to stop him from catching the ball and dunking. At the other end of the spectrum, players will be weary of attacking the paint when Victor is in the game because of the likelihood of rejection at the rim. Webanyama averaged 3.0 blocks per last season, and his ability to deter shots on the defensive end will be his most translatable skill early in his NBA career. Yes, we can imagine Victor hosting several block parties in San Antonio. Did you get it?
3. High Motor and Potential Growth as Shooter- a constant worry for team executives in drafting players the size of Victor Wembanyama is whether the body will manage the rigorous NBA season. So far in his young career, Victor has shown the ability to be a considered high-motor player. Wembanyama has shown on tape that he is all about the hustle plays on the court. He does not watch the action unfold but runs the floor hard, grabs loose balls, and can produce some sensational moments attacking the offensive glass. An area that Victor will improve and be a difference maker long term is in his shooting. Wembanyama shot 27.5% from three-pointers but has the confidence to shoot even though he may not see the results. NBA defense will look to exploit this weakness by allowing him to prove that he can make the open three consistently. We are confident that with NBA coaching, Victor can improve his shotmaking. NBA big men like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shaquille O’Neal have struggled at the free throw line, but Victor shot 82.8% from the free throw line last season.
Yes, for his size, athletic and dribbling ability, Victor Wembanyama is a unicorn. A player that can dribble like Chris Paul, dunk like Giannis, and has the potential to dominate like Shaq. Yes, this is why we agree that he is the greatest prospect in basketball history. No pressure, right?