San Antonio Spurs still cannot get a victory to improve their performance and change their position on the rankings. But they have the right to be positive when they see young talent Victor Wembanyama improving and advancing day by day.
Facing the defending champion and Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, the 19-year-old French rookie had an impressive set of stats with 22 points, 11 rebounds, 6 steals and 4 blocks in 25 minutes of play.
This statistic has not helped Spurs win, but Jokic was extremely impressed with Wembanayama and shared confidently about the future of the “French unicorn”.
“19 years old, young, healthy and energetic. He really played very enthusiastically and competed with fire, not afraid of fatigue or any challenge,” Nikola Jokic shared after facing the French rookie.
“He still has flaws that opponents can exploit, but this is normal for a young player. I think Victor will gradually get used to NBA basketball, used to the pressure from fans and media to become the best version of himself.
I am 100% convinced that Victor Wembanyama will change the game in the NBA in the future. In fact, he has taken the first steps on that path.”
Not only praising Wemby’s offensive aspect, Nikola Jokic was also impressed with the defensive ability of rookie San Antonio Spurs:
“I don’t think a player that tall can still defend almost all 5 positions. This is a very good thing for Victor personally and also a good image for the tournament. Basketball is changing a lot every year and we always see interesting things.
When this kid really understands NBA basketball and accumulates enough combat experience, I think Victor will be even more uncomfortable every time he is on the court.”
According to StatMuse’s statistics on the combined index of steals and blocks, Victor Wembanyama is ranked first in the entire NBA, ahead of both Brook Lopez and Anthony Davis.
The French rookie is also the only player to date with over 20 steals and 25 blocks after the first month of Regular Season (22steals, 45 blocks).
Only 19 years old, playing in the NBA for less than 5 weeks and already bringing in impressive statistics, perhaps Victor Wembanyama is really on the way to changing the game in the NBA like Nikola Jokic commented.
