Victor Wembanyama is ascending to NBA stardom quicker than even his biggest supporters would have expected him to. The San Antonio Spurs' phenom is earning praise from everyone across the league, most recently Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker.
Booker said that his favorite part about Wembanyama is his mindset, according to Paul Garcia of Project Spurs. The 27-year-old knows what it's like to play for one of the worst teams in the NBA and try to turn its fortunes around. What Booker once did for Phoenix, Wemby should be able to do for San Antonio.
“Just a force. I think my favorite part about him is his mindset,” Booker said, via Project Spurs. “Nowhere near soft. He's a competitor to the highest. You can tell after games that losing bothers him, and it’s not something he's gotten used to. I've watched all his mannerisms and watch how he carries himself, and he seems like a seasoned vet.”
With a record of 15-56, the Spurs have surely given Wemby a taste of losing this season. The team still plays a lot better when he's on the court, as he raises the team's net rating by 8.6 points when he plays. In due time, Wemby will be leading a winning team.
NBA stars praise Victor Wembanyama's talent, intensity
From going head-to-head with Giannis Antetokounmpo in a hard-fought matchup to his first marquee performance against Booker's Suns, Wembanyma is never afraid to take it right to the opposing stars he matches up with.
There have been heaps of pressure on Wembanyama to perform this season. He was one of the most hyped No. 1 overall picks in the history of the NBA Draft (if not all drafts of any sport) and was followed closely well before he made the jump to the NBA. Now that he's here, he's eager to prove that the league belongs to him. The Rookie of the Year award is already wrapped up despite another rookie, Chet Holmgren, putting together a stellar first season.
There's a lot of talent around the league, more so than at any point in years past. Teams are going to start challenging Wemby more and more as his career goes on. But no one knows better than him that he's going to be, as Booker said, a force.
Wembanyama knows how good he's going to be and isn’t afraid to tell anyone about it. He endorsed fellow French star Rudy Gobert for the Defensive Player of the Year award but hinted that it would be his award to win going forward. It's hard to argue that, as Wemby's 3.4 blocks per game and 9.9 block percentage lead the NBA. His 1.3 steals per game and 2.0 steal percentage rank in the top 20. No player on Earth has his blend of size and mobility and he has the tough-minded defensive instincts to boot.
On the other end of the floor, Wemby is already one of the best lob finishers in the game. His unreal wingspan, athleticism and hand-eye coordination make any lob in his vicinity worth two points, though he is surrounded by too many poor playmakers to consistently make it a part of his repertoire. Wemby is still growing as a scorer but already has handles, playmaking vision and off-the-dribble shooting skills that are advanced for someone his age and height.
The Spurs got their one season to tank with Victor Wembanyama but going forward, he's going to be too good for them to obtain a bottom-three-to-five record. Booker and stars of other teams are going to be trying to crack the code of how to stop him for a long, long time.
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