San Antonio, Texas – Dubbed “the best prospect since LeBron James”, the French prodigy Victor Wembanyama did not disappoint his fans in his preseason appearance for the San Antonio Spurs. Just two games in and Wemby is already making a statement in the league.
Victor Wembanyama goes off against the Miami Heat and proves why he’s a future superstar
The San Antonio Spurs faced off against a Miami Heat team that had just been in the NBA finals during the summer. The Spurs’ no.1 overall pick, Victor Wembanyama, even had a better outing than his preseason debut against Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the game against Miami, Wembanyama did everything on the court. He was unstoppable in the paint and was obviously a tough player to guard on the perimeter and behind the three-point line. The 19-year-old Frenchman also made some great passes.
The Spurs came out on top as they beat the Heat, 120-104. To be fair, most of Miami’s stars like Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin, and Bam Adebayo, did not play in the preseason. Regardless, it was a great night for Wembanyama after he stuffed the stat sheets with 23 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 huge blocks while also shooting 67% from the field. Needless to say, fans are already looking at the potential future face of the NBA. Can Wemby become a rookie All-Star this season?
Victor Wembanyama is a human cheat code!
Wembanyama made a series of jaw-dropping plays during their game against Miami on Friday. From a give-and-go alley-oop dunk from the three to a no-dribble Eurostep, Wembanyama is an unreal basketball player. The European star makes it look easy against veteran NBA players. Because of that Spurs and NBA fans were in awe of what he did and are even wondering what more can he do. He isn’t just your casual 7-footer, Wembanyama is a different beast. If he continues this level of play in the regular season, there’s no doubt we’re looking at the next MVP.
WHAT A DUNK BY WEMBY 😱
HE'S TAKING OVER IN SAN ANTONIO.#NBAPreseason | Live on TNT pic.twitter.com/hGfvd5Ih5L
— NBA (@NBA) October 14, 2023
WEMBY LOB OFF THE GIVE-AND-GO 🤯#NBAPreseason | Live on TNT pic.twitter.com/ak52KT9jNs
— NBA (@NBA) October 14, 2023
Wemby makes it look too easy pic.twitter.com/mraagNVmrl
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 14, 2023
Victor Wembanyama: The best of both worlds
The Spurs were one of the worst defensive teams in the league last season. But, this may about to change with Victor Wembanyama in the rotation. Not only can this 19-year-old cager score anywhere on the floor, but he’s also a top-tier rim protector. In two preseason games, he’s also managed to get a total of 4 blocks. It’s a bit of an overstatement, but Wembanyama can be a defensive nightmare moving forward. He’s quick, tall, and has a long wingspan. Plus, he is also freakishly athletic.
WEMBY'S FOURTH BLOCK OF THE NIGHT 🤯
23 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 4 BLK#NBAPreseason | Live on TNT pic.twitter.com/3sYMaACFxq
— NBA (@NBA) October 14, 2023
He will be carrying the Spurs franchise on his back for many years. That is if he stays healthy. We’ve seen a lot of “What ifs” in the NBA like Jabari Parker, Derrick Rose, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Brandon Roy, and many more. Hopefully, he develops and strengthens his body like Giannis Antetokounmpo. If that happens, it’s going to be a scary time for contenders.
But, before that takes place, he’ll have to face the biggest stars of the NBA in the regular season. It’s only two games and his biggest competition so far is OKC’s Chet Holmgren. Do you think he’ll fare well against Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo, Nikola Jokic, and his fellow Frenchman, Rudy Gobert? Let us know in the comments below.
Every Wemby defensive rotation pic.twitter.com/DkPhNDwb21
— PD Web (@abovethebreak3) October 14, 2023
This is Bam’s last chance to win DPOY because the media gonna hand Wemby like 7 of them https://t.co/cqUZMQHUIC
— Austin (@ChefTrillie) October 14, 2023
Victor Wembanyama vs Chet Holmgren in the preseason: Who won the battle?
NBA fans finally got the chance to see the highly-anticipated battle of the giants, Victor Wembanyama vs Chet Holmgren. Touted as the future of the NBA, Chet and Wemby went head-to-head in their 2023 NBA preseason debut. The San Antonio Spurs visited the Oklahoma City Thunder and these two young squads played a very exciting match. Although OKC came up with a close win over the Spurs (122-121), who won the battle between Wembanyama and Holmgren?
Obviously, Chet Holmgren got the last laugh over Wemby. Aside from getting the dub for OKC, Holmgren also played an outstanding game. The former Gonzaga Bulldogs star almost had a double-double preseason opener with 21 points and 9 rebounds. He was also very efficient on the court after he shot 70% from the field and a wonderful 100% from the trifecta.
On the other hand, Victor Wembanyama also showed up with an impressive stat line. The French prodigy put up 20 points and 5 rebounds. The 2023 first-overall pick also picked up the slack on the defensive end with 2 steals and 1 block. Despite the two young talents taking the league by storm after their excellent preseason debut, it seems that Chet Holmgren slightly outplayed Wembanyama. However, this matchup would be an exciting sight moving forward and hopefully, a rivalry sparks from this very game.
