Earlier this week, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, voted for unanimously with 99 first place votes, beating out competition from Oklahoma City Thunder forward-center Chet Holmgren. By doing so, he became the first unanimous recipient of the award since Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns in 2016. The youngster is also the third player to win the award as a member of the Spurs, following in the footsteps of David Robinson in 1990 and Tim Duncan in 1998.
The Frenchman was heavily touted as one of the greatest prospects of all time prior to last year’s NBA Draft, and he certainly lived up to the expectations and more during his debut season at the highest level. The heights he will reach next year and many to come afterwards is a scary thought for the other 29 teams in the league.
Wembanyama’s Rookie Season
Wembanyama’s first campaign in the NBA has seen his name mentioned amongst some of the very best in history, such was the scale of some of his dominant performances throughout the season.
In 71 starts, he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game, leading all rookies in each of these stats. Furthermore, he also recorded 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game, which was also near the top amongst all rookies. His 3.6 blocks were also a league best. He registered all of these stats having averaged less than 30 minutes per game, which made him the first player ever to do so, per the NBA. No other player has also achieved 1,500 points, 700 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 blocks and 100 three-pointers in a single season. His defensive efforts were widely recognised, highlighted by his second place finish for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Had he won, he would have become the first rookie to ever win the award, but ultimately lost out to now four-time winner Rudy Gobert.
It was not the quick start to the season many had anticipated, particularly struggling with turnovers in his first few games, but he soon found his stride and never looked back. Despite the struggles of the Spurs and their lack of wins, Wembanyama made the team must-watch TV with his mind-boggling plays and outrageous highlights. A number of records have already been broken by the forward, some achieved not even halfway through the season.
One of his first impressive performances came very early in the season against the Phoenix Suns and Kevin Durant. The Spurs were down 20 points, but managed to pull of a miraculous comeback which culminated in a last-second steal and layup by Keldon Johnson to seal the 115-114 win on the road at the death. Whilst Johnson was the scorer of the go-ahead basket, it was Wembanyama who led his team to victory. He only scored 18 points, but he stepped up when it mattered most in the late clutch minutes. This was the first of many to come in the year.
Best Performances
Such is the brilliance that Wembanyama has displayed this season, it is almost impossible to summarise all of his greatest performances in a limited space. However, here are a few of the best and historic.
- March 29th vs New York Knicks
Undoubtedly his best statistical game came against the New York Knicks in late March. With 40 points and 20 rebounds, the 7-foot-4 man became the first rookie to record these numbers since Shaquille O’Neal in 1993. It was a stunning display, as he went head-to-head with the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, who himself scored 61 points. However, it was Wembanyama and the Spurs who came away with a 130-126 overtime win in front of a jubilant home crowd.
- March 17th vs Brooklyn Nets
This was a historic night for Wembanyama, as he became the first player in NBA history to record 30+ points, 15+ rebounds 5+ assists and 5+ blocks, whilst shooting an efficient 50% FG in a game. It came in a win, as they beat the Brooklyn Nets 122-115 in overtime. He had a great duel with Nets’ guard Cam Thomas, who scored 31 points.
- March 3rd vs Indiana Pacers
Over 30 points and 10 rebounds became a common statline for Wembanyama, and he achieved it once more against the Indiana Pacers, with 31 points and 12 rebounds adding to six blocks. He once again delivered at both ends of the court, with the Pacers having no answer for him. It led to another win for the Spurs, as they beat their opponents 117-105.
- February 12th vs Toronto Raptors
Wembanyama erupted for a rare triple-double, in which he recorded 27 points, 14 rebounds and an incredible 10 blocks. His performance helped the Spurs to a 122-99 blowout win over the Toronto Raptors. He became just the fifth player in NBA history to achieve at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks in a single game, joining the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the list.
- December 28th vs Portland Trailblazers
A big 118-110 win over the Portland Trailblazers came courtesy of another strong showing at both ends of the floor from Wembanyama. He contributed 30 points, six rebounds and seven blocks in the dominant display. What makes the performance even more impressive is that he achieved the feat in just 24 minutes.
Looking Ahead to Next Season
At just 20-years old, Wembanyama has become the face of the franchise and is expected to bring back the glory days to San Antonio. His talent suggests that they will get there sooner rather than later, so now it is up to the front office to supply him with the best complementary pieces to get the job done. In an already stacked Western Conference, the Spurs will soon hope to add their name to the list of teams ready to compete.
His minutes were carefully managed by his head coach Gregg Popovich, frustrating both player and fans at times, but it helped him have a relatively injury-free campaign, resulting in him missing just 11 games in total. With a full season under his belt, and no major injury concerns, expect him to come out strong to start in October, boosting his already incredible numbers even further.
