“He’s Got a Target on His Back”: Victor Wembanyama’s 9-Point Performance Against the Clippers Gets Put into Perspective by Gregg Popovich

After facing harsh criticism from analysts and fans alike, it seems like James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers are finally getting back on track. After their win against the Houston Rockets, the Clips started yesterday night right from where they had left off, crushing the Victor Wembanyama-led Spurs by a staggering 25 points. The Spurs now have a losing streak of seven games and are currently languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference table with a record of 3-11.

In the post-game presser, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich answered reporters’ questions surrounding the performance of their much-hyped 7 ft 4″ Center. The veteran coach defended Wembanyama for his dismal 9-point performance and said, “He’s got a target on his back. They are gonna come after him, they are gonna be physical, I mean it’s just logical. It’s what anybody would do, so that’s why we say he is learning every night.”

Popovich further defended the rookie, saying, “He doesn’t know any of these players, in terms of who he is guarding and who is guarding him. He has no idea who they are.” With a team of talented rookies, the Spurs HC seems to emphasize on “getting that education out on the court”.

Gregg Popovich said Victor Wembanyama has a target on his back. pic.twitter.com/hgAQfj8sjI

— Ronald Harrod Jr. (@ronharrodjr) November 20, 2023

Pop made it clear that he doesn’t expect anybody to magically dominate the NBA in their first year in the league, no matter how talented the player is. Wemby put up nine points in his game against the Clippers, along with three rebounds and four assists. These stats are not even close to the expectations Wemby has set with his skills on both sides of the court. It will be interesting to see how he bounces back as the season progresses.

Gregg Popovich believes in Victor Wembanyama’s abilities

Wembanyama started the season with a bang showing off his skills in pre-season games. To start the regular season, Wemby posted 38 and 20 points against the Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors respectively. He also garnered a number of blocks, which showed his dominance on both sides of the court.

However, as Coach Popovich rightly stated, the rookie is still new to the league with just 14 regular season games under his belt. Pop has full faith in Wemby’s potential to flourish in the NBA.

In his post-game media interaction, after Wemby’s 38-point domination against the Suns, Popovich had claimed, “He has got confidence in himself and you know, he made some plays that are unbelievable. So, that combination is pretty good, if you have that skill and you are still willing to pass. I think we had 37 assists and didn’t turnover.”

There is hardly any doubt about the youngster’s abilities with the ball in his hands, and he has proved that in just 14 games. Moreover, Coach Popovich is convinced that his favorite rookie has a lot to show on the court, even though the Spurs are 3-11 this season.