Wemby Watch: Dominating the Boards

Over the past several games, Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama has been cleaning the glass at a very high rate.

When it comes to the most hyped prospect since LeBron James, expectations entering this season were astronomical for Victor Wembanyama. With that in mind, outside of a few small areas of improvement, he has been as remarkable as anyone could have hoped given his age. 

Each week, it seems like he gets better in at least one small piece of the game, continuing to improve as a more well-rounded NBA player.

What has the generational talent done since our last Wemby Watch update two weeks ago, and what are his statistics to this point?

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Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

2023-24 Stats: 19.3 PPG | 10.7 RPG | 2.5 APG | 3.0 BPG | 1.3 SPG | 43.7% FG | 27.4% 3PT

Spurs Record: 3-20

While there’s a lot to like about Wembanyama’s performances over the past two weeks, the rebounding has been the most impressive. Over his last three games specifically, he’s notched 20, 18 and 13 rebonds respectively. This includes an average of 4.3 offensive rebounds per contest alone over this span. The French phenom’s ability to clean the glass is only getting more impressive as time goes on.

Offensively, Wembanyama is starting to consistently put together games in which is scoring is efficient. While he’s been able to put up points all season long, early on it was too often on poor shooting splits and high volume. 

“SOMEBODY NEEDS A BODY BAG!”

Victor Wembanyama POSTERIZED Alperen Sengun 🤯

pic.twitter.com/om8VDHi49o

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 12, 2023

Against the Los Angeles Lakers most recently, he produced 30 points on 21 shots. Against the Atlanta Hawks late last month, he scored 22 points while shooting 56.3% from the floor. While he has been mostly effective inside the arc, it’s the 3-point shot that has really driven his percentages down. The rookie is trending in the right direction, but still has a long way to go on that end.

Defensively, he’s already one of the best in the league. Wembanyama has produced 17 stocks (steals + blocks) in his last three games alone. His ability to be a defensive anchor as a rookie has proven highly valuable late in games, as he can generate stops and also get buckets on the other end to pull closer in the clutch.

In the upcoming week, Wembanyama and the Spurs will take on the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelican, Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls.

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