Rookie Victor Wembanyama Wowing Early in NBA Preseason

Through just a few games, frenchman Victor Wembanyama is living up to all the hype and more.

It’s been no secret that French forward Victor Wembanyama has been one of the more hyped players to enter the NBA in the last few decades.

At 7-foot-4 with a near-8-foot wingspan and a truly mobile, it’s hard to ignore the gravitas he commands on-court. Even to the point he was being compared to the LeBron James’ and Anthony Davis’ of the world.

But after just two preseason games, those who had even been Wembanyama’s biggest skeptics are starting the see the vision.

In his first ever look at quasi-NBA action, Wembanyana poured on 20 points, five rebounds, two steals and one block in just 19 minutes of play.

The OKC Thunder and Chet Holmgren — the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and another mobile 7-footer — ultimately came away with the win, but it was a great starting point for Wembanyama.

And in the second contest, he was even better.

Poster slams. Turnaround jumpshots. Euro-step’s from the top of the key. Emphatic 3-pointers. All of this and more helped Wembanyama to a quick 23 points in just 23 minutes. He shot 10-for-15 overall, adding four rebounds, four assists and a patented three blocks.

There will still be concerns by many about Wembanyama’s ability to avoid injury, fatigue and more in an 82-game NBA season. But he’s already starting to quell any concerns of his on-court impact just minutes into his career.

Wembanyama will next take the court against the Rockets at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 16.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.