With all the attention that surrounded him leading up to the NBA Draft and for the lofty expectations laid upon him, San Antonio Spurs generational prospect Victor Wembanyama tops all NBA rookies in just about every major statistical category and leads the entire league in blocks.

ClutchPoints talked with the 7-foot-four big man about the relative ease, especially considering he's 20 years old and hadn't previously played the American game, with which he's gone through his rookie season to this point.

ClutchPoints' conversation with Victor Wembanyama

The top draft pick had been battling some rough South Texas allergies over the weekend. Still, he averaged 17.5 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists in games against the New Orleans Pelicans and Cleveland Cavaliers. On Monday, following the team's first practice in a while because of the game schedule, he looked and sounded much better than after Saturday's loss to the Cavs.

“I'm tired. The practice was hard but I'm better than before, luckily. Those allergies were killing me for a little bit. For this point of the season, we're good,” Wembanyama told ClutchPoints.

Though the season is past the halfway mark, the Spurs upcoming Rodeo Road Trip as well as the NBA's All-Star game serve as markers on the Silver and Black's schedule. ClutchPoints asked the French phenom what's surprised him most about NBA competition thus far.

“There are things that surprise me, that keep surprising me. The hardest battle isn't the physical one, it's more mentally; going onto the court every night and fighting for your team, fighting because somebody else in front of you wants to kill you, to dunk on you all night,” Wembanyama responded. “Fighting because we've got a lot of progress to go and it's hard to apply what the coach says.  This is probably what surprises me: how this is is the hardest battle and not the physical one.”

As for the aspect of NBA competition that seemed smoother and more natural for him, Wemby answered along similar lines.

“It's pretty much the same. Surprisingly, we're in such good conditions. We've got everything in recovery. We take the time to do everything as the body wants it. Our body has time to do adapt, actually, so it's now become 0ur normal rhythm, playing like this,” the Spurs leading scorer told ClutchPoints. “Now I sleep better when I play three or four games a week. When I have one day of rest, it feels weird now. This has surprised me a little bit.”

Wembanyama thriving despite minutes restriction

Even on minutes restriction for the better part of his blossoming NBA career, Wembanyama is averaging 20.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.1 blocks and 3.2 assists through his first 44 games. ClutchPoints asked if the game has come a little easier than he anticipated entering a league that features the best players in the world.

“No, I wouldn't say easier. You might be on offense against wider spacing than what I've seen before and have better players around, better players to help you. But you've still got to guard the best players in the world. It's tough. It's not easier. But, yes, it's different,” Wemby admitted.

Spurs' Wembanyama was selected to the NBA's Rising Stars game during All-Star Weekend. It'll come in the midst of a nine-game trip that starts Wednesday in Miami and has the Spurs playing away games until February 27 as the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo takes over the Frost Bank Center.