Victor Wembanyama Continues Historic Rookie Season

Victor Wembanyama entered the league with the San Antonio Spurs as one of the highest-rated prospects of the century. The 7’4″ Frechman was taken with the first overall pick by the Spurs in the 2023 Draft, and though they are last in the Western Conference standings with a 15-54 record, their rookie is putting up record-breaking numbers.

Most recently in a win against the Brooklyn Nets, Wembanyama finished with a stat line of 33 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and seven blocks. Those numbers have only been reached three times in NBA history, once by Joel Embiid and twice by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but neither did it in their rookie season.

His ability to fill out the stat sheet in all categories is what differentiates Wembanyama from other young players entering the league. In a time where scoring seems to be prioritized, he still averages 20 points per game while also top 16 in rebounds and steals, and top of the league in blocks, averaging 3.5 per game. No other player has averaged at least 3.5 blocks per game throughout a season since Hassan Whiteside did it in the 2015-16 season.

“I am young, getting better every day, and I think we could say that for every month to the next one,” Webanyama said earlier in the season about his progress. “The good thing is my margin of progression, I don’t even know how big it is. I can get so much better, and this is what I am trying to do every game, every week and every month.”

Over the past month, Wembanyama has had some other unique performances that separate himself from the other rookies and young players around the league. On Feb. 29, he ended the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with 28 points on five three-pointers, 13 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks for the third time in league history a player finished with at least five three-pointers, assists and blocks in a single game.

Less than a week earlier he finished against the Lakers with 28 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and five blocks and steals for the first time a statline similar to that has been put up since Hakeem Olajuwon in the 1990s. The night before that against the Kings, Wembanyama put up 19 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and five blocks and steals. He was one assist short of a 5×5 game but obviously reached that accomplishment the night after. Olajuwon and Andrei Kirilenko are the only players in league history to accomplish the 5×5 stat line twice, and Wembanyama almost did it on back-to-back nights as a rookie.

One of the worries for Wembanyama coming into the league was injuries, but so far he hasn’t missed a game this season, scoring at least 10 points in all but three contests this season. Over his rookie year, Wembanyama is averaging 20.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists 1.3 steals and 3.5 blocks per game. He leads all rookies in every category except assists and field goal percentage, separating himself from Chet Holgrem and the insistent comparisons. Wembanyama leads the league in blocks and has been gaining traction for winning the Defensive Player of the Year Award. No rookie has ever won the award, and if it were given to Wembanyama, he would be the youngest player to win it by three years.

“Of course. I’m dedicated,” Wembanyama said earlier in the season when asked about comparisons to Holgrem. “At the end of the day, I’m going to get what I deserve. Every game is a statement (from) now on.”

Compared similarly to prospects like LeBron James and Zion Williamson, Wembanyama has already outpaced the expectations put on him before joining the league. As a rookie, he is putting himself on lists with Hall of Fame level players, and doing it all on one of the worst teams in the NBA. He’s broken records and made a name for himself as one of the most important assets in the league, all while only playing only 60 games.

Article by Eli Gregorski