Victor Wembanyama has lived up to his potential of being the most hyped rookie from the 2024 draft. The Spurs’ first overall pick this year has been leading the league in blocks and is averaging numbers as prime Shaquille O’Neal or Hakeem Olajuwon right from his rookie year. The Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green recently dissected Wemby’s growth on his podcast, The Draymond Green Show, denoting the Spurs’ young star to turn into a Top 20 player.
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However, what impressed Green the most was the way the French prodigy blossomed under the developmental tutelage of head coach Gregg Popovich. Coach Pop and the Spurs’ player development strategy has been directly responsible for turning several Spurs legends into seasoned NBA stars.
Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, and Tony Parker weren’t the same players when they first started at San Antonio, however, they are now well on track to stardom. Green believed that Wembanyama is on a somewhat similar trajectory in blossoming as a seasoned player in the NBA. Green said,
“San Antonio has helped him with that. His handle was not that good. Like, yes, he can dribble the ball, but they have helped him a lot with his handle. You look at Tim Duncans, you look at Kawhi Leonards. Tony Parker was not that player that Tony Parker ended up being when he arrived at San Antonio.”
Green credits the Spurs’ development staff with being ‘absolute top of the line’ for creating dynasties within the franchise. Without the grand envisioning of Coach Popovich, the Spurs wouldn’t have won their five championships by challenging the dominance of some of the top conference teams, such as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat, over the years.
Though Wemby might have struggled in his initial few games, he seems to have picked up the momentum. In no time, he has been creating several league records, which is quite unlikely for rookies this early on in the league. As per Green, if Wembanyama continues such form for the next two seasons, he could be a potential MVP candidate. Indeed, with the guidance of a Hall of Fame coach, Wemby is assured success and stardom within the next few seasons.
Victor Wembanyama has been an absolute unit for the Spurs
Draymond Green rightly points out the positive change Victor Wembanyama has inculcated within himself. In his first 15 games in the league, Wemby averaged 18.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game, which are quite decent numbers for a rookie.
However, his rise has been distinctly phenomenal, given his averages from the last 15 games show a definite spike to 21.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. Wemby has been flourishing offensively and defensively, leading the league with 3.4 blocks per game. Indeed, this indicates the development Wemby has inculcated for himself since joining the Spurs under Coach Pop’s supervision.
Wembanyama recently created history by becoming the youngest player in the league history to record a 5×5 game. For the uninitiated, 5×5 games occur when a player has at least five rebounds, points, assists, steals, and blocks in a game. In a defeat against the Lakers, last February, Wemby finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, five blocks, and five steals. Given the glimpse of Wemby’s talents this season, the league needs to watch out for the young fella’s rise in the upcoming seasons.
