Spurs Rookie Victor Wembanyama Has 'Long-Term Potential'
When it comes to San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, the word "surprise" seems to become irrelevant.
The 7-4, 19-year-old power forward possess just about every characteristic necessary to make him one of the NBA's top talents, and normally, that would be surprising. But in the case of Wembanyama, it's expected.
San Antonio's face-of-the-franchise hasn't played a single regular-season game yet, but he's already been compared to LeBron James in terms of his ceiling, told that he'd be a bust if he doesn't have a career similar to that of the league's best players to ever hit the hardwood and been coined "The Extraterrestrial" by Nike.
So, it wasn't any surprise when Wembanyama was listed as Bleacher Report's top prospect under 22 years old — not at all.
Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports
"If Wembanyama maxes out his potential, he might break the game of basketball," the site wrote."[He] can block a shot on one end, lead the break and bury a step-back three on the other. His potential runs beyond being he sport's top two-way player, [and] he could wind up being the league's best player on both offense and defense simultaneously.
"There's a reason the basketball world is buzzing about his arrival in ways it hasn't since we all waited LeBron James two decades back."
James. There's the comparison again. For the basketball world, that's exciting, but a 19-year-old, that's scary. Yet still, Wembanyama seems to be up for the challenge.
"It's just basketball," Wembanyama said in an interview. "I have no pressure, no fear. I'm trying to have fun every time. You know, people have doubts, but I'm going to prove them wrong."
In order to do that, the Spurs rookie will have to hit the ground running in October — first in the preseason, and then in the 82 games that follow. His health will play a vital role in that, especially given his unique stature and frame. He'll likely be focusing on bulking up in a similar way that Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo did, but until then, he'll use his height and shiftiness to his advantage.
"It's hard to overemphasize how incredible Wembanyama's long-term potential is on both ends of the floor," The Athletic's Sam Veceniewrote of Wembanyama. "He will immediately be the biggest, longest player in the NBA, which allows him to change the geometry of the court defensively.
Defense will also be a big part in how effective Wembanyama will be. Yes, the blocks will come. He's five inches taller than San Antonio's next tallest player, so naturally, he'll be sending numerous shots back a game if he positions himself correctly.
Between that and his jumpshot, which still does need work, Wembanyama is setting himself up to be a true all-around superstar himself, and that's the hard part.
The easy part for the rookie was earning the praise and respect from fans and media across the world because of his skillset — though it is acknowledged that there isn't anything "easy" about making it to the NBA, especially as a lottery pick.
Either way, Wembanyama has the potential and the skillset to be a star in the NBA. He's going to have all eyes on him — literally, as San Antonio notched 19 nationally televised games — and will certainly be looking to make a statement in his first year.
Now, it's up to him to follow through on that goal and step into a high-impact role with San Antonio right away. And that's just over three weeks away.
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will take the court for the first time of the 2023-24 preseason on Monday, Oct. 9. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.
