The historic rookie campaign of Victor Wembanyama has turned him into a prime contender for the 2024 Rookie of the Year award. However, amidst the anticipation of his rise, Rasheed Wallace downplayed his influence with some controversial statements on Gil’s Arena. The 49-year-old believed that the San Antonio Spurs rookie’s season could be chalked up to luck, paving the way for a massive debate.
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The situation circled the remarkable stats of the Frenchman in his first-ever NBA season. Averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game, as per StatMuse, Wemby has put himself a step ahead of his draft class. Yet, Wallace voiced his concerns while expressing his beliefs during the show.
“He ain’t even really prove himself yet. He has been one year in the league. S**t, let him prove himself first…To me, he hasn’t been here long enough. We don’t know if this s**t is a rookie season luck…Now he come out and give me these stats and these numbers next year and then another year, ‘Oh yeah, he is f***ing great,'” he declared.
Interestingly, Gilbert Arenas soon aligned himself with his co-panelist’s beliefs. The 42-year-old alleged that data analytics enthusiasts often intentionally manipulated the numbers to put the spotlight on Wemby. According to the 3x All-Star, the 20-year-old rookie should be treated like the rest while judging his impact, regardless of his position and ethnicity.
These statements indicated the fans’ willingness to overhype Wemby at times. After all, throughout their careers, Wallace and Arenas had witnessed several such ‘one-season wonders’ who failed to maintain momentum over time.
However, this youngster had registered the numbers throughout the campaign to back the narrative around him. This gave rise to an exciting discussion as the former players refused to acknowledge the rookie as a great NBA player this early.
What’s next for Victor Wembanyama?
Alongside being in contention for the ROTY, Wemby remains in talks to win the Defensive Player of the Year in his rookie campaign. His elite ability to protect the rim has benefited the Spurs while his defensive prowess safeguarded them against the opposition forwards. Consequently, as per Fox Sports, the 7ft 4″ sensation is second on the list to win the award with +800 odds.
Hence, the franchise aims to retain the talent beyond his rookie contract. However, fulfilling this goal will require them to sacrifice one of their core principles of building championship-winning rosters through draft picks. With time running out, the Texas organization may opt for that method as they look to make the most out of free agency recruitments.
So, the disruption caused by Wemby remains evident at this stage. Simulateansouly, Wallace’s words also carried a certain level of truth as the rookie must stay consistent to earn the trust of the Spurs franchise. As a result, the fans continue to keep an active note of the proceedings as the NBA enters a new era.
