Victor Wembanyama is one thing, man. At 20 years previous, I have already got him as one of many greatest 25 gamers this season. Even when you disagree with that rating, there isn’t any disputing how unimaginable he is been for the Spurs as a rookie.
It is not even March, and Wembanyama is already the primary participant in historical past to document 150 blocks, 150 assists, and 75 made 3-pointers in a single season. Simply earlier than the All-Star break, Wembanyama carded 27 factors, 14 rebounds, 10 blocks, 5 assists and two steals in opposition to the Raptors on 71% capturing. No different participant in historical past has met these single-game benchmarks.
Now, in his second recreation popping out of the All-Star break, Wembanyama has grow to be the youngest participant ever – and simply the fifteenth in complete – to hitch the unique 5×5 membership, which requires the recording of a minimum of 5 factors, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in a single recreation.
He did it on Friday evening in a loss to the Lakers … within the fewest minutes ever.
The final participant to document a 5×5 recreation was Jusuf Nurkic in 2019. The one different rookie to drag it off was Jamaal Tinsley in 2001.
What’s loopy: Wembanyama missed a 5×5 recreation by only one help on Thursday, posting 19 factors, 13 rebounds, 5 blocks, 5 steals and 4 assists in opposition to the Kings.
Take into consideration that. Solely 14 different gamers in historical past have pulled this off, and this dude, a 20-year-old rookie, practically did it on consecutive nights. He joined Michael Jordan as the one participant in historical past to even document 5 blocks and 5 steals in back-to-back video games, and but, all he is involved with is the result of the video games, neither of which went in San Antonio’s favor.
Wembanyama entered the NBA as probably the most hyped rookie since LeBron James. It appeared unimaginable that he might reside as much as the hype instantly. By some means, he is truly exceeding it.
He leads the league in blocks, on tempo to grow to be the primary rookie since Manute Bol in 1986 to take action. Because the Spurs did away with the Jeremey Sochan level guard experiment and began taking part in Wembanyama at middle, he has exploded.
Because the begin of January, a stretch of 23 video games, Wemby is averaging just below 23 factors and 10 boards with 3.7 assists, 3.4 blocks and 1.7 steals. He is capturing 49 %, together with 35 % from 3 on over 5 makes an attempt per recreation. He’s doing this in exactly 27 minutes per recreation, which is pure madness.
Extrapolate these numbers to per 36 minutes, and Wemby’s ledger reads like this: 30.1 factors, 13 boards, 4.9 assists, 4.5 blocks, 1.8 steals. Play this man 36 minutes, and he’s rattling close to averaging a 5×5 for crying out loud.
There is a sturdy argument to be made that Wembanyama is already probably the most intimidating defensive participant within the league. While you add this sort of offense to it, effectively, as LeBron James stated on Friday, “he would not have a ceiling.”
“He can do no matter he needs in his profession,” James stated of Wembanyama. “…You bought guys in our league that you need to account for any time you get across the rim or across the perimeter in our league historical past, and he sits proper on the prime, if not across the prime, with all of the greats.”
