When the 2023 NBA Draft kicks off on Thursday, French phenom Victor Wembanyama will inevitably be the first player chosen and become a member of the San Antonio Spurs.
Seven years after the retirement of Tim Duncan and five years after they traded Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs are expected to become relevant again in a hurry thanks to Wembanyama’s unique abilities.
The big man says that a big advantage he has had so far is the fact that he has been “the man” on his team, which is something that doesn’t really happen for a player as young as him, as noted by Tim Bontemps.
Victor Wenbanyama said he was excited to have the chance to be the go-to player on his team this season and have that responsibility, which is not typical for a player in his age bracket in Europe.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 21, 2023
Wembanyama is just 19 years of age, and although he’s far from a finished product, he appears to be on a steep upward trajectory.
While with Metropolitans 92, his French team, this season, he showed off a fluidity with the ball that is just about unheard of for a man his size.
Perhaps only Ralph Sampson, a massively hyped 7-foot-4 center who was the No. 1 pick in the 1983 NBA Draft, had such advanced ball-handling skills while standing so high above the ground.
There are those who are a bit skeptical about all the hype surrounding Wembanyama, and of course, he will have to prove he is worthy of all that hype once the NBA season starts in October.
The thinking is that because he’s so young and still somewhat undeveloped, it will take him a few years to become whatever he will become, but he could become the type of transcendent player that arrives in the league once every decade or two.
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