The San Antonio Spurs have drafted the much-hyped rookie Victor Wembanyama as the No.1 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. The versatile big man who is known to do almost everything on the basketball court will don the Spurs kit for the upcoming season. He has to first justify the hype surrounding him in the build-up to the NBA draft.
It has been discussed a lot since his move to the USA from France. Wembanyama is considered the best prospect ever since LeBron James and there will be weight of expectations on his young shoulders. But according to former All-Star Tony Parker, Wembanyama is the ideal player to put the Spurs back to where they belong in the NBA standings.
He believes that the Frenchman will spark some energy into the lineup and inspire them to become great again. “I know he wanted to go to San Antonio, and so it feels like it was destiny, with the French connection we built over the years,” Parker said. “And he is going to keep the legacy going. It’s pretty cool.”
Parker, who was giving an interview to Samuel Petrequin of Yahoo Sports also highlighted Wembanyama’s abilities which make him a very intriguing prospect in the NBA. He was simply astonished to see a big man dribble and shoot like that. “He is unique,” Parker said. “His set of skills is unique. You know, we never saw a guy, a 7-5 (player), shooting like that, and having the dribbling skills that he has, and the way that he plays the game, it is just different. I can’t wait to see him play with the Spurs.”
Wembanyama featured for Metropolitans 92 in the 2022-23 season and there he showcased his skills. He finished with double-double average of points and rebounds and also played his role as a rim protector with aplomb courtesy of averaging three blocks per game.
With everything said and done, the transition from France to the USA won’t be very easy for Wembanyama who will have to go through cultural changes and will have to adapt to his pace. So NBA analyst Chris Broussard feels that the Spurs fans should lower their expectations from their team in the upcoming season as he feels that it will take time for Wembanyama to propel the team to the playoffs or more. However, he believes that the big man will have a big season and might also win the Rookie of the Year award.
“I’m expecting Wembanyama to put up big numbers as a rookie; don’t expect a Spurs playoff berth, though,” Broussard said. “I’m expecting 20+ points, 8-9 rebounds, it might be a little low, but we’ll see, 2-3 blocks, which is huge in the NBA.”
“I expect him to have a great individual season, not necessarily make the playoffs because I don’t know what veterans will be there and he’s Rookie of the Year.”
When a player of this calibre joins the NBA, fans always get excited and expect big things from that particular player. Hence it will be crucial how Wembanyama manages the pressure and the weight of expectations.
