Inside The Spurs

'Better and Better!' Clippers' Ty Lue Latest to Praise Spurs Star Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is no stranger to praise, especially after showing the steps he's taken forward in Year 2. LA Clippers coach, who watched him a few games back, is the latest to add to it.

Matt Guzman

Nov 4, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks for the basket against the Los Angeles Clippers during the second half at Intuit Dome.
Nov 4, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks for the basket against the Los Angeles Clippers during the second half at Intuit Dome. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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A game where Victor Wembanyama nearly recorded a triple-double with blocks was certainly one of his more memorable performances of the season — which says quite a lot.

The young San Antonio Spurs star finished the evening with 24 points to go along with his defensive showcase, and while the game didn't flip in his favor, it caught the attention of the LA Clippers coach who watched the entire thing unfold.

“We’ve never seen a player like this before," Ty Lue told NBA Insider Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson, comparing his rookie campaign to the first few games of his second season. "He wants to win, and he’s happy for other guys’ success."

READ MORE: Spurs Fall Short as Clippers Come-From-Behind

At the beginning of the season, that was cemented. Wembanyama fielded questions about the outside expectations for him and San Antonio's still-young roster before shutting down any narrative suggesting he listened to outside noise.

"It doesn’t really matter," Wembanyama said. "We’re trying to set new standards.”

San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts during the second half against the Washington Wizards.
Nov 13, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

As far as he was concerned, those were set from within the organization. And his role in meeting them was only going to expand.

"His role is only going to get better and better," Lue said. "I always knew that he was going to be a force defensively, but offensively, he’s understanding how to play and where to get his shots from."

Wembanyama, after a slow start to the season, has begun to find his groove in Year 2. Whether it's making history or showing out in a loss, that's been evident.

The next step for the Spurs is to convert those performances into wins, and already, they're on better pace this season than a year ago.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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