Only 6 points scored in an NBA game, that had never happened before Victor Wembanyama (2.24 m, 20 years old). So obviously, his performance against Oklahoma City disappointed a lot of people, but not as many as himself. For his first back-to-back of the season, putting aside concerns about his physical condition, the French prodigy decided to bounce back.
The desire to prove
From the start of the match, he showed his desire to make an impression and silence emerging criticism. He took six shots in the first six minutes, in an offensive momentum that is not really his style. And unlike previous matches, his attempts were quickly returned, especially at three points. Quickly double-team by the Jazz defenders after a fanfare start, he nevertheless continued to shoot, this time with less success (4/13 three-pointers in the match). Generally speaking, Wembanyama tried a lot of things in the first half, with varying degrees of success. And sometimes to the detriment of ball circulation, which cost the Spurs (47-53 at half-time), in addition to a bench that was not at all there.
So when he returned from the locker room, he and his team changed their mentality. The ball turned much better between the players, with a Chris Paul still in maestro mode despite his 39 years (19 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists). Wembanyama, meanwhile, focused on defense and team play in the second half. He accumulated assists, interceptions and blocks. Enough to allow the Spurs to win the third quarter 30-14, and to keep this gap of around fifteen points until the end of the match. The Texan franchise finally won on the road against the only team that has not yet won in the NBA (106-88). With a final interception and a final three points to cap it all off, their No. 1 in the French Draft finished with 25 points on 9/20 shooting, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 interceptions and 5 blocks in 34 minutes.
Wemby highlights vs. Utah:
25 PTS | 9 REB | 7 AST | 5 STL | 5 BLK pic.twitter.com/caAjxtbujv
— WembyMuse (@Wemby_Muse) November 1, 2024
Go a little deeper into history
A five-by-five denotes a complete player, capable of doing everything on both ends of the court. And above all it is extremely rare. Wembanyama had already achieved one at the end of last season, like only 14 other players before him, including a certain Nicolas Batum (2.03 m, 35 years old). But only two other players have managed to reproduce this performance: Hakeem Olajuwon (6) et Andrey Kirilenko (3). By signing his second five-by-five at only 20 years old, the native of Chesnay seems on track to catch up and become the historic leader in this category. Which would correspond to his idea of becoming the most complete player possible. “It shows me that I can help my team in all these areas. It has to become something regular, that I have to do more often” he said after the meeting.
Above all, his performance allowed Spurs to record their second victory of the season, in five games. The French giant indeed finishes with… +43 more/minus! His statistics are therefore far from being in a vacuum. The big smile he showed on the bench at the end of the match was probably due to his team’s victory rather than to his individual performance. “I love winning, I really do, it’s what I love most in life” he revealed after his very first success last season. Given the poor level displayed by young players since the start of the season, Spurs’ victories could remain rare, hence the interest in savoring them. Especially if a historic performance from Wembanyama is required every time.
Hakeem Olajuwon (x6), Andreï Kirilenko (x3) et… VICTOR WEMBANYAMA 🇫🇷 !
Players who have several “FIVE-BY-FIVE” counts in the NBA.
Crazy (20 years old). 👽 pic.twitter.com/jRpjzti2HQ
— Florian Benfaïd (@FlorianBenfaid) November 1, 2024
