Rookie Victor Wembanyama aims for historic NBA season with San Antonio Spurs

There are seven weeks and 27 games remaining to conclude this NBA season for the San Antonio Spurs. And for Victor Wembanyama, it is not yet time to rest. It’s even time to put the heating blue back on to make history and… not make it too. Because the challenges on an individual but also collective level are double for the number 1 of the last NBA draft.

Individually, all the lights are green. After a somewhat sluggish first part of the season, particularly in terms of skill, Wemby found his rhythm in the NBA. Since he was replaced at position five by his Texas coach Gregg Popovich, the French giant continues to impress. And with 20.5 points, 10 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.2 blocks on average, he has regained the upper hand in his long-distance fight with Chet Holmgren (OKC) and can become the first Frenchman to be crowned “Rookie of The Year” in the NBA.

Go back in time for a rookie

If he can mark the history of French basketball once again before going to discover the Olympic Games with the French team, the former Nanterre prodigy can also go back in time in the big League. Increasingly formidable in offensive phases despite his limited playing time (28 minutes on average), he can be the first rookie to average at least 20 points while playing at least 50 matches since a certain Luka Doncic in 2018-2019 . And if we base ourselves on his month of January where he averaged 24 points (in 14 matches), this seems clearly within his ropes while Popovich has already announced that he should play more minutes after this break.

In the defensive area, Wembanyama can still do better. If his name begins to circulate more and more across the Atlantic for the title of best defender of the year thanks to his blocks and his interceptions even if it seems improbable given the defensive record of the Spurs, he can also become the first ” beginner” to turn more than three blocks since Shawn Bradley in 1993-94 and thus join Alonzo Mourning (3.5 blocks in 1992-93), Shaquille ON’eal (3.5 blocks in 1992-93) or even David Robinson (3.9 blocks in 1989-90), just that. “I don’t want to have regrets,” the former Mets player has already said during All Star Weekend in comments taken up by BeBasket. But this outing is not only about his personal goals.

Victor Wembanyama, author of a huge triple double against Toronto

Credit: Getty Images

Don’t end up with Spurs’ worst record in history

In order not to “dirty” this first season and leave a veil over his monster individual performances, Wembanyama knows: he must also allow his franchise to gain momentum so as not to sign a historically weak season for San Antonio. The Spurs currently only have 11 small victories for 44 defeats, the third worst record in the League. However, as the San Antonio Express points out, the Texan franchise would end the season with 17 victories at best if the protégés of the legendary “coach Pop” maintain their pace from the start of the season.

However, the Spurs, who finished with 22 wins last season as a reminder, have never done less than 20 wins in a season in their history. It was in 1996-1997. And finishing with the worst record in franchise history for its first season in the League would be a real stain for Wemby. But the latter does not intend to be satisfied with the performance at the start of the season. “We can win as many matches at the end of the season as we have won since the start,” the Frenchman has already warned, keen not to leave a sad mark on his first NBA exercise.

2024-02-22 09:57:00
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