Victor Wembanyama’s second season is off to a promising begin. The 20-year-old phenom is averaging 20 factors, 12 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and a couple of.7 blocks per sport by his first three outings. However what’s actually caught my consideration isn’t simply within the numbers — it’s the intangible affect he brings, the type you received’t discover on a stat sheet.
His presence is very felt on the defensive finish, the place he makes an affect on virtually each possession. A first-rate instance of this got here throughout Monday night time’s sport in opposition to the Houston Rockets.
The possession started with Dillon Brooks driving alongside the baseline, utilizing his physique to create house for a layup. However Brooks shortly realized his try was doomed—Wembanyama stood his floor, towering over him like a father about to swat away a child’s shot within the driveway. Compelled to regulate, Brooks made the good move to kick the ball out to Alperen Şengün.
When Şengün obtained the ball, he discovered himself matched up in opposition to Spurs wing Harrison Barnes. Sensing the mismatch, Wembanyama signaled for Barnes to change, taking the project himself. Şengün opted to problem him the old-school method, backing him down within the put up. However the 7’4” Frenchman dropped right into a low stance, utterly neutralizing Şengün’s try, forcing him to move it again out.
The ball finally discovered its approach to Jalen Inexperienced, who shortly swung it over to Brooks as soon as extra. Recognizing a gap, Brooks drove onerous to the rim, this time blowing previous Barnes and seemingly on his approach to a straightforward layup. However as soon as once more, Wembanyama slid over, contesting the shot with excellent timing. Brooks was compelled into a troublesome miss, and the Spurs secured the rebound.
What’s fascinating is that Wembanyama didn’t register a block, steal, deflection, or rebound on that possession—but he dictated each second of it. His presence compelled a number of kick-outs, neutralized put up strikes, and denied layup makes an attempt, all with out exhibiting up within the field rating.
Truthfully, the NBA may want a brand new stat to seize his affect—one thing like “The Wemby Kickout,” monitoring how typically opponents drive into the paint solely to retreat and reset out of worry. I’ve by no means seen a participant trigger so many reluctant resets at this degree.
With Wembanyama, you must look past the numbers and dive into the movie. His defensive affect is staggering—masking floor with ease and making life infinitely simpler for his teammates. Even when the field rating doesn’t replicate it, Wembanyama’s presence is felt in every single place, cementing his standing as some of the disruptive defenders within the league immediately.
These sorts of blocks, the place Wemby baits gamers into making an attempt layups, by no means get previous. Poor Tari Eason—he actually ought to know higher by now.
Wemby hasn’t shied away from taking deep threes this season, like this one. It’s unimaginable to see somebody his dimension with that type of vary, however I’d nonetheless want a shot distribution with extra makes an attempt within the paint.
These clips of the 20-year-old Frenchman warming up by no means get previous—he’s simply constructed in another way.
On Saturday, a tweet went viral showcasing Wemby’s new “Wookiee of the 12 months” Nike footwear, impressed by his love for Star Wars. Miguel Da Guzman from SportsKeeda supplies a wonderful breakdown of the shoe’s design right here.
Throughout his rookie season, we noticed glimpses of Wembanyama’s fierce aggressive nature. However this season, it appears to have developed right into a extra aggressive, no-nonsense strategy. On Saturday night time in opposition to the Rockets, Wemby didn’t again down from Dillon Brooks, including extra gasoline to the budding rivalry.
On a associated notice, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla not too long ago steered that the NBA ought to contemplate bringing again combating, a minimum of from an leisure perspective. Apparently, Wemby preferred a Sideline Sources put up about it—possibly Mazzulla isn’t the one one with that mindset.
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