“I Am Busting Wemby Up”: Unfazed by Victor Wembanyama’s Numbers, Dwight Howard’s Hot Take Doesn’t Favor Spurs Rookie

The NBA community remains in awe of Victor Wembanyama following his nearly flawless rookie campaign. Several anticipate him to emerge as the new face of the league over time, a testament to his on-court dominance at the tender age of 20. However, Wemby’s numbers have failed to faze Dwight Howard in the least, leading him to even go as far as backing himself in a contest against the Frenchman.

During his latest appearance on The OGs, ‘D-12’ candidly discussed how he would compete against the San Antonio Spurs star. Even though he initially praised Wemby’s attributes, Howard insisted that during his prime years, he would utterly dominate Wemby. The 38-year-old expressed his inclination to rely on his physicality during such a contest and just how far it would take him, saying,

“I would hit him in the chest, make his shoulders clap. Game is over with that…He is going to the ground…I’m gonna go with myself. I’m busting Wemby up in the paint. What are you talking about?”.

On the one hand, his words undervalued the impressive endeavors of Wemby during this season. However, on the other hand, the greatness of Prime Dwight Howard just can’t be overlooked.

When it came to brute strength with a touch of class to go with it, there haven’t been many better than the former Orlando Magic man. That said, there is one thing that would likely let him down in this matchup – his height.

Howard stands at 6ft 10″, on the shorter end of the spectrum for centers in the NBA. Compared to him. Victor Wembanyama stands at a towering 7ft 4″, something that would make this potential contest an extremely unfavorable one for ‘D12’.

At the end of the day, one can’t really know the definitive result of this matchup. However, there is reason to believe the NBA champion is underrating Wembanyama a little. In fact, perhaps he’d even be surprised to know just how much better Wemby’s rookie season looks even when being compared to his own.

A closer look at the rookie seasons of Victor Wembanyama and Dwight Howard

Coming into the league as the number 1 pick in the 2023 draft, Wemby has surpassed all expectations.

Averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game, he marched his way to the 2024 Rookie of the Year award. Additionally, he remained in conversation for the Defensive Player of the Year award in his rookie campaign right up until the end.

In comparison, Howard made his name as a defensive enforcer even in his initial days in the league. That said, it took the 2004 number 1 pick a couple of years to adapt to the NBA before coming out of his shell. Consequently, he registered 12 points, 10 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game during his rookie campaign.

Thus, Howard’s rookie numbers seem great at a glance but pale in front of Wemby’s performances. After all, the latter has already recorded a higher number of blocks per game than Superman’s career-high (2.9). Additionally, the Frenchman’s 21.4 points per game this season gives a neck-to-neck fight to D-12’s career-high offensive display of 22.9 points per game.

So, at this stage, Wemby undoubtedly holds the potential to surpass Howard in his prime years. Yet, the latter’s physicality certainly would have been a concern for the international star while competing against him. This dynamic paves the way for an interesting debate.