Though English is not first language, San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama wants everyone to know he means exactly what he says – especially when it comes to his game.

“I did mean that literally. I'm not talking for nothing,” Wemby said Friday about a comment he made to ClutchPoints last week.

The backstory

Two nights after posting their biggest margin of victory of the season, the Silver and Black did it again. Friday night's 135-99 thumping of the Charlotte Hornets easily bested Wednesday's 22-point blowout at the Detroit Pistons.

Following the 36-point pasting of the now 8-28 Hornets, ClutchPoints asked Spurs' Wemby a related question that dated back to his brilliant performance in last week's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. That night, Wembanyama said every game would be a “statement from now on,” after he'd failed to win NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month and ranked only eighth among the conference's front court players in the league's initial All-Star balloting.

Eight days later, the 7'4 Spurs phenom reiterated those words when ClutchPoints asked if, because he's since put together some of his best performances, he meant those comments in a literal sense.

“Of course. I've been trying to be locked in on every play. Every time I step on the court, I've got my goals in mind. Every time I dunk a ball, I've got my goals in mind. I've just got that energy that inside of me that's going to push me to win,” the top overall pick in last summer's draft said.

Asked about those goals, Wembanyama was again clear.

“The obvious ones, but the most important one is winning a championship some day so it starts with those efforts today.”

No Wemby for second half of back-to-back

Spurs' Victor Wembanyama

As per the same restriction that hasn't allowed him to play more than 26 minutes in any contest since late December, the French big man won't play Saturday vs. the Chicago Bulls.

“I wish I was,” Spurs' Wemby continued when asked by ClutchPoints if he's looking forward to his next ankle evaluation in a week and a half. “We're on a streak right now. I can't wait for sure. I can't wait.”

Focal point

Wembanyama's streak of consecutive fantastic performances will end with Saturday's DNP. He's scored at least 20 points in six of the last seven Spurs games and recorded a triple double in the remaining game as his teammates looked for him more often.

“I was told that some of my former coaches said that even on these teams, sometimes my teammates have trouble adapting to playing with me or I had trouble adapting. It's nothing to worry about. I'm not a conventional player,” the 20-year-old said. “I needed time to figure out how I want to play and how I need to play for the team and, I guess, everyone needed time to figure out how to play with me.”

Wemby insisted it's been familiarity with teammates, and not resolution of any kind of conflict, that's been key.

“I'm a new piece on the team. There's nobody on the team who doesn't want to pass me the ball and there's nobody who I don't want to pass the ball to. And lately, it's showed.”

Monday afternoon's game at the Atlanta Hawks should prove Wembanyama's next time to show that continued cohesion. The rest of the Spurs host the Bulls on Saturday night.