Rookie Wemby put up some historic numbers
Victor Wembanyama figured he might be getting into trouble. It was a rare moment of celebration for the San Antonio Spurs in this long season, a win over the New York Knicks last month that had another sold-out crowd stirred into a frenzy.
He had just intercepted the game’s final pass as time expired. He highfived a courtside fan, then tossed the ball to someone about 10 rows deep in the stands. Everyone loved it, except the NBA, which fined him $25,000 two days later.
Money well spent, he figured.
“I remember players being fined for this, but they threw it always in a bad way,” Wembanyama said. “I threw it to make some guy’s day.”
The guy who caught the ball had a moment he’ll likely never forget, and the 20-year-old Wembanyama sure looks like someone who’ll create a lot of those moments going forward. He is a 7-foot-4, walking, talking, dunking, shot-blocking, step-back3-making, crossover-dribbling, viral moment waiting to happen, a giant of a man with the frame of a center, the skills of a guard and who is about to wrap up a rookie season where most would say he exceeded a stack of expectations that stood taller than even he does.
“He’s the future of the NBA,” Denver coach Michael Malone said. “We’re watching the ascension of the next great player in the NBA. … There’s not a lot that that young man cannot do.”
Wembanyama’s numbers for the season right
In a classic Jokic half, he didn’t attempt a shot in the entire second quarter, which the Nuggets won by 19. They thrived by bottling up Wembanyama, who went into the break with 15 points on 14 shots, four turnovers and his first career yapping-related technical foul.
Aaron Gordon defended him well and built up frustration. Before a Spurs baseline out-of-bounds play, the two got tangled up and Wembanyama fell. With Gordon standing now: 21.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.6 blocks per game. Blocks only became a recognized stat in 1973 so it’s almost certain that Wilt Chamberlain would have been on this list, but officially, there have been only two instances in NBA history where someone finished a season averaging that many points, rebounds, assists and blocks. Both were turned in by Kareem Abdul-jabbar.
Wemby, as he’s known, put up those numbers in Year 1. Be afraid, NBA. Be very afraid. over him, no foul was caused. Gordon absorbed a Wembanyama push-off in the post after the ensuing inbound and the possession ended in a turnover. By the end of the half, the rookie was visibly riled up, due for a big half.
“I think we just took our foot off the gas in terms of intensity,” Peyton Watson said. “I feel like we felt like we were gonna win no matter what and there was no possible way that we could lose this game, which I don’t understand.”
“I don’t want to take a leap,” Memphis’ GG Jackson said, “but he’s definitely going to be one of the greatest defenders of all-time when it’s all said and done.”
Wembanyama will be the Rookie of the Year, surely overwhelmingly, possibly unanimously. He could be part of the ALLNBA team. He might even be Defensive Player of the Year as a rookie. Consider the opinion of Golden State’s Draymond Green, a past DPOY winner himself, who said a few weeks ago that Wembanyama should not be considered for that award because of the Spurs’ record.
And then the Warriors and Spurs played a few weeks later. Green changed his mind. Wemby is his pick.
“I don’t know what lab he was created in,” Green said on his podcast, “but I need to go create me a son in that lab because dude is unbelievable.”
Green said he was so locked in on getting a signed Wembanyama jersey for his son that night that he forgot to hug Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, his former Olympic team coach.
San Antonio Min FG FT Reb A PF Pts Champagnie37:12 4-5 4-4 1-5 2 0 14 Mamukelashvili30:238-142-42-12 2 3 21 Wembanyama36:4912-275-71-12 5 1 34 Jones 38:33 6-11 1-3 0-610 1 14 Wesley 19:03 1-2 0-0 0-1 4 2 2 Graham 31:33 4-11 1-2 2-4 5 0 11 Collins 21:27 5-9 3-3 3-6 3 0 15 Cissoko 16:35 4-5 0-0 2-3 0 5 8 Duke Jr. 8:24 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 2
Totals 240:00 45-85 16-23 11-49 31 13 121 Percentages: FG .529, FT .696; 3-Point Goals: 15-33, .455 (Wembanyama 5-12, Mamukelashvili 3-5, Champagnie 2-3, Collins 2-3, Graham 2-7, Jones 1-2, Cissoko 0-1); Team Rebounds: 9. Team Turnovers: None; Blocked Shots: 4 (Wembanyama 2, Collins, Mamukelashvili); Turnovers: 18 (Wembanyama 7, Jones 3, Collins 2, Graham 2, Mamukelashvili 2, Champagnie, Wesley); Steals:
2 (Collins, Wembanyama); Technical Fouls: Wembanyama, 00:46 second
A: 18,665 (18,581)