During his rise to prominence this season at Boulogne-Levallois before taking off for the NBA, Victor Wembanyama has logically been compared to different profiles playing in the NBA, generally tall and thin, with a fairly wide offensive palette, which can in particular dribble and deviate from the paint.
Kevin Durant was mentioned, and among the players over 2m10, Bol Bol and Kristaps Porzingis were also mentioned. But KP no longer wants to be compared to Wemby…
“I believe Victor Wembanyama is an improved version of me and many players”, confided the one who was quickly nicknamed “The Unicorn” upon his arrival in the NBA. “I think this guy is different. To me, he’s almost like a superhuman, the way he moves and handles the ball and everything. From what I’ve seen, he’s like a mix of a lot of great players. He has the “handle” of a Kevin Durant while at the level of his height, he is even taller than me, and that’s not nothing. And I don’t know if you’ve seen his action where he takes a 3-point step-back and then taps on his own shot. That’s just amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in my life. I can’t wait to see him in the NBA and also during the summer. I remember that at this age, we progress really quickly. Because he will continue to progress quickly, and that too will be incredible.
A more physical than technical adaptation
Kristaps Porzingis projected himself on what will happen very quickly, namely the first steps of Victor Wembanyama in the world of the NBA. For him, the greatest adaptation to the Great League will be more at the physical level and on the repetition of efforts than on the technical level.
“I think the most important thing for him will be to keep his body healthy. If he gets a small injury, people will start saying he’s “injury prone”, that he won’t be able to do it at a high level. But it won’t be like that. Of course he will end up twisting an ankle at some point, although I hope that never happens to him. I wish him the best possible health. From what little I have seen, I have the impression that he is doing what is necessary for his body. He is already a level above and he has good people around him.
While he had to show some toughness to turn fans around when he arrived at the Knicks, Kristaps Porzinigis also recognized a trait that could help “Wemby.”
“What I like about him is his confidence. It’s super important for him when he comes (to the NBA). He knows he’s the best player in this draft draft, and there’s no way he’s not the first choice. I can’t wait to see what he will be capable of next season.”he concluded.
| Kristaps Porzingis | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2015-16 | NYK | 72 | 28 | 42.1 | 33.3 | 83.8 | 1.8 | 5.5 | 7.3 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 14.3 |
| 2016-17 | NYK | 66 | 33 | 45.0 | 35.7 | 78.6 | 1.7 | 5.5 | 7.2 | 1.5 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 18.1 |
| 2017-18 | NYK | 48 | 32 | 43.9 | 39.5 | 79.3 | 1.3 | 5.3 | 6.6 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 22.7 |
| 2019-20 | DAL | 57 | 32 | 42.7 | 35.2 | 79.9 | 1.8 | 7.7 | 9.5 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 20.4 |
| 2020-21 | DAL | 43 | 31 | 47.6 | 37.6 | 85.5 | 1.9 | 7.0 | 8.9 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 20.1 |
| 2021-22 * | All Teams | 51 | 29 | 45.9 | 31.0 | 86.7 | 2.0 | 6.1 | 8.1 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 20.2 |
| 2021-22 * | DAL | 34 | 30 | 45.1 | 28.3 | 86.5 | 1.9 | 5.8 | 7.7 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 19.2 |
| 2021-22 * | WAS | 17 | 28 | 47.5 | 36.7 | 87.1 | 2.2 | 6.6 | 8.8 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 22.1 |
| 2022-23 | WAS | 65 | 33 | 49.8 | 38.5 | 85.1 | 1.8 | 6.7 | 8.4 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 23.2 |
| Total | 402 | 31 | 45.3 | 35.9 | 82.7 | 1.8 | 6.2 | 8.0 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 19.6 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
