Rachel Nichols Believes She ‘Undershot’ Victor Wembanyama’s Ceiling With a Top-10 Prediction

In just four games of the 2025-26 NBA season, Victor Wembanyama has lived up to his ‘Alien’ nickname. The presumption was that the San Antonio Spurs star would take another jump, but an MVP-calibre season didn’t seem possible so early on. However, he continues to amaze NBA experts with his stellar play. Rachel Nichols even had lofty expectations for the remarkable 7-foot-5 big man, but feels those weren’t high enough.

NBA fans didn’t get the full Wembanyama experience during the 2024-25 season. The French star had to step away from the court after the All-Star break due to a blood clot in his right shoulder. Leading into this season, some questions began to circulate about his game shape after missing such an extended time. Those thoughts seem to be in vain, as Wemby looks better than he ever has.

Wembanyama prioritized building functional strength in the summer. He may have the same slender build, but he is significantly stronger, having added 30 lbs. As a result, he doesn’t rely heavily on his perimeter play. That may be the scariest thing the Spurs’ big man could’ve done because he is virtually unstoppable.

In his first four games of the season, Wemby is averaging 31.0 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 4.8 blocks per game. The craziest part about Wemby’s production is that he’s shooting 60.3% from the field. The NBA acknowledged his stellar play and awarded him the first Western Conference Player of the Week award for this season.

NBA analyst Chris Mannix is at a loss for words considering how good Wemby is. The one way he could describe him is by a combination of two of the greatest players in league history. “It’s definitely a hyperbole, but his DNA is that of Bill Russell and Steph Curry,” Mannix proclaimed on Open Floor. 

To think a player exists who can receive comparisons to both the greatest shooter along arguably the greatest defender of all time. Rachel Nichols didn’t offer much pushback since that’s just how great Wemby has been. She even predicted that the Spurs star could etch his name among the all-time greats. However, even that doesn’t feel like a fair prediction now.

“Before he was drafted, I said he was going to be a top-10 player of all-time. I think after watching these first few games, did I undershoot it? Is he going to be a top-5 player of all-time?” Nichols said.

Wembanyama would still be impressive if the Spurs had lost all of their games. But the most telling aspect of Wemby’s impact is that these aren’t empty stats. Wembanyama has led San Antonio to an undefeated record. As a result, Mannix doesn’t even view much wrong with Nichols’ claim.

“I think you can certainly make the case that, based on what we’re seeing at the start of year three, that a top-five all-time player is not out of the realm of possibility,” Mannix inserted.

What Wembanyama is doing is truly amazing. NBA fans better appreciate what we’re witnessing because, as Mannix and Nichols have alluded, this isn’t ordinary.