If Victor Wembanyama validated the victory of the Spurs with a decisive counter on Herb Jones, then an interception two seconds from the end, what many remembered after the meeting against the Pelicans was his patience in attack, and his altruism in a meeting where he was 0 for 6 at halftime after suffering numerous two-man shots.
“Throughout the year I had to adapt to this defensive strategy, but the coaches and my teammates tried to involve me even if the opponents defended this way” confides Wembanyama. “But drawing the defense and taking two-on-ones isn't necessarily a bad thing if we can move the ball. So we have a lot of options. Basketball is a sport full of resources.”
As a result, Wembanyama dominated the second period with his points, rebounds and assists, finishing one pass short of a triple-double!
“The best thing about Vic is that he loves to pass” testifies Sandro Mamukelashvili. “Even if sometimes he doesn't score, he won't absolutely try to score, he's not selfish. He will give you the ball and trust you. Once he finds the solution, he just goes crazy! “.
A “facilitator” like Boris Diaw
Since the All-Star Game, “Wemby” has averaged 5.3 points. He has doubled his average since the start of the season, and the twenty matches played in October and November. For the Frenchman, altruism is essential in a “franchise player”.
“I always knew that I could play this role of facilitator, but when you are young, it is obviously difficult to develop. I'm happy to see that it's working better and better.” he notices. “I can't be a complete player if I don't make my teammates better. If it's through passes, that's great. »
While he warns that he will refuse any rest between now and the end of the season “out of duty to the franchise and the fans”, Wembanyama praises the new collective effort with elements who take advantage of injuries to to show.
“We can only salute the collective effort” concludes Wemby. “Everyone knew that they had to raise their level of play, especially those who usually don't get playing time. Everything worked, and collectively, we were as one, all together. »
