Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season left no doubt in our minds – he is an All-Star-level talent. The only question that remained was when he’d make the team. It seems like his new teammate Chris Paul wants it to be this year. After the Spurs defeated the Lakers last night, Paul spoke to the media to compliment the teammate and claimed that he deserved to be in San Fransisco next month.
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“Put him in the All-Star Game,” said Paul, expressing his thoughts on Wemby’s growth as a player. He talked about how the sophomore “plays the game the right way,” and confidently claimed he was one of the most humble people he knew. He also made his opinions on the center’s claim for Defensive Player of the Year clear, saying, “he’s gonna be Defensive Player of the Year.”
Chris Paul says “put him (Victor Wembanyama) in the All-Star Game!” CP3 comments about Victor’s personality and intelligence during his interaction with members of the inquisitive Los Angeles media following the Lakers game. #PorVida #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/YFnVVOreP3
— SpursRΞPORTΞR (@SpursReporter) January 14, 2025
Despite a slow start to his sophomore season, Wemby has found his tempo and is steadily showcasing the otherworldly talent that made him such a desirable prospect last year. In last night’s win over the Lakers, he put up 23 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. His numbers didn’t do justice to his defensive contributions, he was vital in slowing the Lakers’ offense down in the half-court.
His bid for the All-Star game is also getting along nicely, although his status as a starter may not be confirmed until the very end. He currently sits 4th in the voting for the frontcourt for the Western Conference.
As of 9th January, Wemby had amassed 1,630,948 votes, with only Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James having more votes than him in the West’s frontcourt options. With the format for the All-Star game being something we haven’t seen before, it’s hard to tell if Victor Wembanyama will be a starter when the time comes, but if his performances so far have been anything to go by, then he’ll make his first of many All-Star appearances on the 16th of February.
