Victor Wembanyama had a terrific performance against the Utah Jazz tonight. Recording 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in just above 30 minutes, per NBA.com, Wemby led the San Antonio Spurs to a 118-111 win. Further, the French phenom recording 5 blocks also helped him achieve a historic feat that no rookie has accomplished since Shaquille O’Neal in 1993.
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Standing at 7ft 4”, Victor Wembanyama’s 8ft wingspan has helped him on the defensive end of the floor. Throughout his rookie campaign, Wemby has lodged an absurd amount of blocks as well as steals due to his lengthy stature. With his 5-block performance tonight, the 20-year-old now has put up 300 stocks – 221 blocks and 79 steals – for the season.
To put this feat into perspective, Wembanyama is the first rookie since Shaquille O’Neal to reach the 300-stock mark. During the 1992-1993 season, Shaq concluded his rookie campaign with 346 stocks – 286 blocks and 60 steals – per Basketball Reference.
Currently, the San Antonio Spurs big man is averaging 3.5 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. Even if Wemby averages the same stats for the remaining nine games, he’ll only lodge 343 stocks, being shy of 3 stocks to equal O’Neal’s record. While it may be extremely difficult to record above-average stats in the remaining games, there is a huge possibility that the lanky youngster will pull off a miracle and surpass the legend.
Devin Vassell lauded Victor Wembanyama for his excellent defense all season-long
Despite leading the league in blocks per game and being the #2 center in steals per game, Victor Wembanyama has barely received the right amount of recognition for his defense. Hence, following the win over the Utah Jazz, Devin Vassell spoke about Wemby’s elite showing on the defensive end and how the rookie manages to live up to the surreal expectations that the team has set for him.
“It’s just crazy the stuff we ask of him and expect of him, but he’s put himself at that level. We expect it from him night in and night out…He went to go dunk on him and we know that’s not going to happen,” Vassell said, per Tom Osborn.
According to various sportsbooks, Victor Wembanyama is the 2nd favorite player to win the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award. Considering that he’s virtually a lock for the 2024 Rookie of the Year honor, finishing top #2 in the DPOY voting will also be an impressive feat.
While the San Antonio Spurs have had a forgettable 2023-2024 campaign. Victor Wembanyama’s display has to be encouraging as the team diverts their focus to the future.
