NBA | Victor Wembanyama’s 8 jobs with the San Antonio Spurs

Nothing that Victor Wembanyama can do will be praised for its true value if the Spurs do not fight for a place in the Playoffs. His first season served as a laboratory for Gregg Popovich and the Spurs but the recruitments of Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes are consistent with a team that must grow. The French interior has no other choice but to take its team to fight for the Top 6 or at worst the places 7 to 10 which give access to the play-in. We will have to be around 42 victories to hope for it, which is already quite a progression for the Texans (22 victories in 2023/2024).

With his physique, and considering past examples in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama’s health is still a concern but what he has put in place for years seems to be paying off and he is not prone to injury. Last year, the Spurs were very careful and it worked (71 matches played out of 82). Wembanyama is hoping for more minutes this season (29.7 last year) but he and his franchise must find the right balance between presence on the floor and the rest necessary for a body like his. Any injury will cast a first veil over what happens next.

Chris Paul no longer has his 20-year-old legs – that’s an understatement to say – and there’s little chance of him averaging more than 15 points this season, but on the other hand he has a lot to bring to his teammates. First on the floor where his knowledge of the game has few equals in the league. Wembanyama will never become Chris Paul but he can copy him on certain movements and the way he plays around him. Furthermore, outside of the parquet floor, “CP3” is a model of longevity and rigor. It’s anything but a coincidence that the Spurs brought him in for the second year of their jewel…

With an average of 21.4 points, Victor Wembanyama approached the historic Top 30 for a rookie season in 2023/2024. Everyone is now waiting to know how far they will rise in year 2 since no one imagines stagnation or worse, regression. The Frenchman from Spurs finished the season well by reaching an average of 25 points in April (only 5 matches). This is the bar he must aim for. Last year, there were only 14, from Luka Doncic to Kyrie Irving, to have surpassed it. Entering the NBA Top 15 is a great prospect for the rookie of the year 2024.

All Victor Wembanyama is in the duality between his size and his skills. The kid is very big but he moves fast and he can shoot from afar. Greedy, the Spurs player already took 5.5 long-range shots last season, only taking 1.8 per game for an acceptable success rate of 32.5%. If he increased this figure to 36% for his second season and then around 40 in the more or less near future, the Frenchman would be an absolute lethal weapon. Letting him get close to the basket would be a mistake, letting him shoot from far away would be an even worse one.

The success of this one will depend on previous work. Without a Spurs team completely down, Wembanyama could already have claimed the big mass in February. An exhibition match, the All-Star Game is nonetheless an important event for NBA players. You have to remember Rudy Gobert’s tears to be convinced of this. A star if ever there was one, the Frenchman could be elected to the 5 major or be chosen by the coaches thanks to his performances. A first selection would be a sign that he is having a successful season and would bring him into the big leagues.

Victor Wembanyama warned Rudy Gobert. Voted best defender in the league last season, his compatriot knows where the threat comes from. Barring injury, we don’t really see what could prevent “Wemby” from bagging a first coronation. He blocks a lot (3.6 last season, no one did better), takes rebounds (10.6), is spectacular and he changes the way opponents play. We wouldn’t even be surprised if he resolved the issue by exceeding 5 blocks per game, something the NBA hasn’t seen in 30 years.

There are 15 of them at the end of the regular season to receive the great honor of being elected to one of the three “All-NBA Teams”. If the All-Star Game recognizes 24 names, this award is even more select. In the history of the NBA, three Frenchmen have slipped in: Tony Parker (3 times in the 2nd, once in the 3rd), Joakim Noah (1 time in the 1st) and Rudy Gobert (1 time in the 2nd , 3 times in the 3rd). With his statistics, Wembanyama has what it takes but this will also depend on the collective results of Spurs.

We have said it again and again, Victor Wembanyama is unique. Is he to the point of breaking an NBA record? Immediately the one that comes to mind in his case is that of the counters. In one match it is the property of Elmore Smith and his… 17 blocks (in 1973). “Wemby” stopped at 10 one evening in February against Toronto. Over a season, Mark Eaton set the record at 5.56 average per game. As crazy as it may seem, this brand seems to be within the French’s ropes. The rest, whether it is the record for points in a game (100 by Wilt Chamberlain) or rebounds (55 by the same Chamberlain) are obviously untouchable and will perhaps always remain so.