On Wednesday night, all eyes were on the NBA matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks, with the battle for Texas showcasing the debut of French phenom Victor Wembanyama.
Not since LeBron James in 2003 has there been a rookie player coming into the league with as much hype and expectations as Wembanyama, who made NBA scouts drool over his highlights from playing professionally overseas before being eligible for the NBA Draft.
Fortunately for the Spurs, Wembanyama landed in their laps with the No. 1 overall pick, which is the third time that has happened going back to bringing in Hall of Famers David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
However, the expectations for Wembanyama have been different, to say the least, as he brings skills at his height that simply have never been seen before, with the capability to do anything on the basketball floor regardless of his size.
Wembanyama’s skills are so impressive that he has former NBA star Paul Pierce believing that the 19-year-old can win NBA Rookie of the Year and NBA Defensive Player of the Year this season, via “Undisputed.”
“Victor Wembanyama can win Rookie of the Year & Defensive Player of the Year in the same year! He has that type of potential.”
— @paulpierce34 pic.twitter.com/370i2e3zuk
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) October 26, 2023
Even though the Spurs ended up losing to the Mavericks, and he didn’t have an eye-popping stat line with 15 points, five rebounds, two steals, and a block, he still turned some heads and showed why he’s getting as much hype as he is this year.
As Pierce points out, Wembanyama’s game is perhaps most impressive on the defensive side of the floor, as he makes every shot extremely difficult to get off, which could have him in contention for the regular-season award.
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