When Victor Wembanyama struggled in his first NBA preseason game, San Antonio Spurs fans were prepared to be patient in his development process. Superstars are not born over night, as the cliche goes. No, it took all but five games for the French phenom to utterly dominate one of the favorites to win the championship this season.
Although Wembanyama had flashed his superb ability in the first few games, he officially arrived in the Spurs' eye-opening road victory against the Phoenix Suns Thursday night. The 7-foot-4 rookie recorded 38 points on a scorching 15-of-26 shooting (3-of-6 from 3-point), 10 rebounds, two blocks and a steal. It was not just the stuffed stat sheet that amazed fans, however, but rather how he achieved those numbers.
After the Suns went on a huge run to tie the game at 116 in the fourth quarter, Wembanyama buckled down. The 19-year-old scored 10 points in crunch time, via the free throw line, dunk and 3-point range. He showcased the mouth-watering versatility and skill that sent San Antonio into a frenzy when the franchise won the right to select the generational prospect back in May.
Wembanyama knows that the Spurs' competitive timetable greatly hinges on his ability to be clutch. “It's a requirement,” he said after the 132-121 win, per ESPN's Andrew Lopez. “If we're being ambitious.”
Exhibiting late-game heroics in consecutive contests versus the Suns should probably qualify as clutch. Moreover, it shows his incredible basketball maturity. Victor Wembanyama is embodying the confident words he has been echoing for months. It is still too early to predict where this team lands in the Western Conference hierarchy, but the Spurs are already appointment television.
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