Chris Paul Had Perfect, Funny Way to Explain How Irreplaceable Victor Wembanyama Is

The second-year center has been ruled out for the rest of the Spurs' season.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) and San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) in the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Frost Bank Center.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) and San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) in the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Frost Bank Center. / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
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There is no one in the NBA like Victor Wembanyama.

The San Antonio Spurs' second-year superstar is a game-changing rim protector on defense, who can handle the ball and score from all over the floor on offense. Point guard Chris Paul, a 39-year old who has been in the NBA since 2005 and has played with seven different franchise and countless star big men, isn't shying away from just how impactful the loss will be on the Spurs.

While discussing how San Antonio will rally together to finish the season without Wembanyama, after the news that he will miss the remainder of the season due to deep vein thrombosis, Paul brought some well-place levity to the situation.

"Trust me, you can't replace Vic," Paul said, via the San Antonio Express-News. "I can't stand on a guy's shoulders and block every shot that comes to the rim."

Wembanyama is leading the Spurs by averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game, and was a favorite for Defensive Player of the Year after making his All-Star debut over the weekend.

The team was aggressive at the trade deadline, acquiring De'Aaron Fox as a dynamic guard to pair with Wembanyama and the veteran Paul during the push for the playoffs. Paul confirmed that the team will have to learn on the fly of a different way to play without Wembanyama's presence, especially on the defensive end.

"No one is going to feel sorry for us," Paul said. "The fact that guys get to go into the lane now and not see Vic in there, they're definitely not going to be mad about it. So, we just got to figure out how to affect the game in other ways."


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Dan Lyons
DAN LYONS

Dan Lyons is a staff writer and editor on Sports Illustrated's Breaking and Trending News team. He joined SI for his second stint in November 2024 after a stint as a senior college football writer at Athlon Sports, and a previous run with SI spanning multiple years as a writer and editor. Outside of sports, you can find Dan at an indie concert venue or movie theater.