Unless there is a very unexpected turn of events, Victor Wembanyama should be crowned rookie of the year this Monday evening, and perhaps even unanimously. A logical reward given the regular season achieved by the Frenchman, impressive both in substance and form.
The first choice of the 2023 Draft indeed had enormous pressure on his shoulders. Expectations were immense, everyone wanted to see the phenomenon and its statistics had to live up to the “hype”. Placed under the orders of Gregg Popovich, the rookie star accepted the instructions of the coaching legend.
“He was very malleable and more easily accepted to expand his role and his game, both defensively and offensively,” analyzes the Spurs coach. “You'd have to ask him if he intended to be the best blocker when he came into the league, but it felt like an obligation. We wanted him to be near the rim, to get rebounds and block shots. »
With 254 shots blocked, or 3.6 on average, Victor Wembanyama actually finished as the best blocker in the league (in addition to his 10.6 rebounds). A first for a rookie since Manute Bol in 1985/86 and only the second occurrence since the arrival of counterattacks in official statistics, 50 years ago, in 1973/74.
“He made me understand that he had the qualities of Tim Duncan”
And offensively? He averaged 21.4 points with 128 winning shots scored, with a 32% success rate. “He likes to shoot 3-pointers, which he didn't necessarily expect from me (to give him the green light in the field), but he's a competitor. He wants to win, he's good, and I needed to show him that he can be good in other ways. Developing your game was a priority”assures Gregg Popovich.
The coach is not the only member of the Texas franchise to be under the spell. RC Buford, former GM and now general manager of the Spurs, is also delighted to have seen “Wemby” assume his status.
“I think it would be very difficult for anyone to live up to the expectations that the league and the fans have placed on him. Every night we saw something different that we had never seen before.” believes the leader. “I watched 50 years of basketball and every night I saw something from him that I had never seen before. The amount of time he has dedicated to his personal development and that of his teammates is incredible. »
Dominant and mature rookie, impressive defender, player who thinks above all of the team: the compliments are numerous and necessarily recall the undisputed legend of the Spurs. “He made me understand that he had the qualities of Tim Duncan, namely an innate basketball IQ as well as the desire to be the best”, concludes Gregg Popovich. Without doubt the best compliment from Coach Pop…
| Victor Wembanyama | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2023-24 | SAN | 71 | 30 | 46.5 | 32.5 | 79.6 | 2.3 | 8.4 | 10.6 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 21.4 |
| Total | 71 | 30 | 46.5 | 32.5 | 79.6 | 2.3 | 8.4 | 10.6 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 21.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
