With Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama can very quickly become one of the headliners of European basketball.
A few hours before “Wemby”‘s big debut in the regular season, much anticipated, “Luka Magic” was invited to share his impressions on the new French phenomenon, who could overshadow him in the Western conference (and more precisely in Texas).
“ It’s pretty crazy what he does on the pitch “, concedes the superstar of Maverickswho will be the first adversaries of Spurs this season. “ How tall is he ? Oh, 2m24? No, it’s incredible what he does with that size, the way he moves, the way he handles the ball, the way he shoots and the way he counters… I watched him and he’s an incredible player. »
HAS DallasLuka Doncic is however not the only one to admire Victor Wembanyama, since Jason Kidd is also under the spell of the interior of San Antoniowhich arouses enormous enthusiasm.
“ He is in a category of his own », Judges the Mavs coach. “ [Il mesure] 2m25, he can dribble, he can shoot, he can counter… I mean, he’s a mix between Giannis Antetokounmpo and I don’t know who else. I think he’s the closest person I’ve worked with and who I’ve also seen dribble, be athletic defensively, block shots and even block 3-pointers. I have nothing against Giannis, but he doesn’t shoot like Victor, although you have to constantly pay attention to where he is on the floor, on both ends. »
Luka Doncic has already been there
As a player and then a coach, Jason Kidd had the chance to rub shoulders with some of the best Europeans of all time, like Dirk Nowitzki of course, but also Giannis Antetokounmpo and now Luka Doncic.
A Luka Doncic who, like Victor Wembanyama, arrived in the NBA with a certain form of pressure on his shoulders…
“ I don’t think I came close [de son niveau de pression]but I may have inspired some transitions from Europe to the United States », Frankly believes the Slovenian. “ My advice would be, as I always say, to have fun. He will obviously have a lot of pressure, as he is probably one of the best prospects in history, if not the best. But he showed he can play, so I don’t think he should worry about anything. »
The fact remains that Luka Doncic is still not guaranteed to cross paths with Victor Wembanyama this Wednesday evening, since he has been physically hampered since the start of the preseason…
“ The calf is fine, pretty good even, but that’s what I say after doing two workouts. So let’s see how I feel tomorrow », Specifies the genius of the Mavericks, about his availability for the opening match of the 2023/24 season.
| Luka Doncic | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2018-19 | DAL | 72 | 32 | 42.7 | 32.7 | 71.3 | 1.2 | 6.6 | 7.8 | 6.0 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 21.2 |
| 2019-20 | DAL | 61 | 34 | 46.3 | 31.6 | 75.8 | 1.3 | 8.1 | 9.4 | 8.8 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 4.3 | 0.2 | 28.8 |
| 2020-21 | DAL | 66 | 34 | 47.9 | 35.0 | 73.0 | 0.8 | 7.2 | 8.0 | 8.6 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 4.3 | 0.6 | 27.7 |
| 2021-22 | DAL | 65 | 35 | 45.7 | 35.3 | 74.4 | 0.9 | 8.3 | 9.1 | 8.7 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 4.5 | 0.6 | 28.4 |
| 2022-23 | DAL | 66 | 36 | 49.6 | 34.2 | 74.2 | 0.8 | 7.8 | 8.6 | 8.0 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 3.6 | 0.5 | 32.4 |
| Total | 330 | 34 | 46.6 | 33.8 | 73.9 | 1.0 | 7.6 | 8.6 | 8.0 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 4.0 | 0.4 | 27.6 | |
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.
