Spurs' Victor Wembanyama: Should 'Everything Revolve' Around Him?
If you told San Antonio Spurs fans in May that they'd be sitting in their cars honking in Downtown San Antonio later that month, they would have thought two things: you were weird for saying that and that there must've been a traffic jam.
The real reason they would likely wouldn't have even crossed their mind, but then again, who really thought that generational prospect Victor Wembanyama would end up with their team? It's an eerie thought to start becoming confident of, especially when the alternative is missing out on a potential Hall-of-Fame caliber player.
The Spurs felt the same way, despite having the highest odds of winning Wembanyama's draft rights. It wasn't until NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum read aloud the Charlotte Hornets' name during the second pick announcement that the Spurs' hopes turned into reality.
But once Tatum did, everything changed in San Antonio ... and it still is.
"This summer was all about Wembanyama, who puts the Spurs on a completely different trajectory as a franchise," Bleacher Report wrote of the Spurs rookie. "Twenty years after LeBron James came into the league, San Antonio perhaps has the next generational prospect in Wembanyama.
"Everything from here on out revolves around the 7'[4]" big man and his development."
In a way, yes, Wembanyama will be the center of attention on the Spurs' roster. His development will be priority and if San Antonio wants to be competitive, it'll need to make sure that the 7-4 center is thriving. But Wembanyama won't be the Spurs' only priority, especially for a coach like Gregg Popovich.
The Spurs have plenty of other assets and rising stars to attend to, including Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson — who's still only 23 — and a recently-signed Julian Champagnie. That's only naming a few, however.
Popovich knows how to develop talent, meaning under his scheme, both Wembanyama and his teammates will be able to improve simultaneously. And if the French phenom really is the player he's shaping up to be, that won't be an issue in the slightest.
"In the NBA, we see teams [at] the bottom of the league one year go to the conference finals," Wembanyama said back in May, prior to finding out the winner of the Draft Lottery. "I have no worries [about where I go]. What's important is that the structure and culture there is strong."
It's safe to say that San Antonio has the culture. It has the talent. And it has the coach, too. What's left is executing the vision, which will be centered around Wembanyama.
But while he is going to play a big part of the Spurs' uptick in success, he isn't everything. That's just not San Antonio basketball. That doesn't mean he won't be its next star, however, and he's already well on his way to doing that.
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