I have no idea what the expectations were, but obviously he is special. He just needs to not skip steps and stick with the process
He is already one of the greatest intimidators of all time
However, his great impact is on defense. He has an ability to change shots comparable to the greatest intimidators of all time, which he already is. His average of 3.70 blocks throughout his career is the highest in NBA history, ahead of specialists such as Mark Eaton (3.50) or Manute Bol (3.34). In the last 10 games, his average has skyrocketed to 4.90 blocks per game.
Chris Paul, base de los Spurs
“I’ve never seen anything like it and I’ve played with some great defenders,” says teammate Chris Paul, who is in his 20th NBA season. “He always finds a way to make up for it even when he gets a really good move. I’ve gotten to a point where I take it for granted that he’s going to get the block. He’s got a gift,” explains the veteran point guard about Wembanyama’s incredible reaction ability, who doesn’t seem to mind double efforts and acts as a contortionist to try to intimidate his opponents with his endless arms.
After his first 100 games in the NBA (35+18 in the last one, a 110-113 win against the Nuggets), it can be said that Victor Wembanyama is what he was expected to be: a prodigy like never seen before and who came to change basketball. An alien who is precisely 21 years old on Saturday and who at 2.24 meters is able to handle the ball like a point guard, who has an extraordinary ability to understand everything that happens on the court, with ease to score three-pointers and, of course, with his 2.44 meters wingspan, to block.
A sponge in learning
His normality is also part of the extraordinary. Wembanyama is easily coachable, never tires of learning and is like a sponge. “Things that took me years to learn, he picked up in minutes,” said Jamal Crawford, one of the NBA’s best-known ankle-breakers, with whom he was training. “His ability to digest information, retain the things we’re trying to help him with and at the same time put his own creativity and discipline into practice is special,” says his coach Mitch Johnson.
Here are some figures to try to understand the impact of the Spurs star. In his first 100 games, his statistics say he averages 22.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.7 blocks and 2.2 three-pointers. Compared to the first hundred games of some NBA stars, this means a better average of points than LeBron James (21.8), a rebounding average close to that of Dwight Howard (10.6), an assist average higher than that of Steve Nash (2.5), a blocking average higher than that of Hakeem Olajuwon (2.6) and more three-pointers per game than Stephen Curry (2.0). Given the names, each statistic is more beastly than the last.
I’ve never seen anything like it and I’ve played with some great defenders. I’ve got to the point where I take it for granted that he’s going to make the block. He’s got a gift