The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are set to square off in an NBA preseason game on Monday. With the game comes the preseason debuts of rookies Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren. Wembanyama and Holmgren come into their rookie seasons in very different scenarios, but both players project to be future stars. All eyes will be on Wembanyama in the game, but plenty of fans will also pay attention to Holmgren.
Wembanyama is arguably the most exciting prospect since LeBron James. Holmgren was a top-tier prospect coming out of college but suffered a preseason injury last summer which led to him missing the entire 2022-23 campaign. Let's take a look at the different journeys Wembanyama and Holmgren have taken to get to where they are now, and look ahead at their impacts on the future of the NBA.
Victor Wembanyama: Expectations are extremely high
Spurs fans could not contain their excitement when Wembanyama simply played in a recent scrimmage. Although OKC is hosting San Antonio on Monday, Spurs fans will certainly be tuned into the game. Many fans may even make the trip to see Wembanyama play in person.
Victor Wembanyama was the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft out of France. He features a versatile skillset despite standing at around 7'3.
The Spurs expect to utilize him in a number of different ways. He can shoot from long-range and finish at the rim. Additionally, Wembanyama is also capable of distributing the basketball well and has impressive handles.
Expectations are sky-high for the phenom. The pressure will be on throughout the 2023-24 season. In fact, it already began during the NBA Summer League. Wembanyama knows what to expect, and it will be interesting to see how he responds.
The return of Chet Holmgren
There will not be as many eyes on Holmgren in 2023-24. The Gonzaga product was successful in college and ended up getting selected second overall by the Thunder last year. However, as mentioned earlier, he suffered an injury before the 2022-23 season.
Thunder fans remain excited to see Holmgren play this year. The Thunder have built an impressive core of players with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Josh Giddey all on the roster. Holmgren's presence will add stability in the post.
He won't receive as much attention as Victor Wembanyama from a national standpoint though. The Thunder are not quite ready to make an NBA Finals run and Holmgren's delayed rookie season has led to a decline in hype. He can get the hype going once again with a strong NBA preseason performance though.
Holmgren is an excellent player and should not be overlooked.
Wembanyama, Holmgren represent the future of the NBA
Wembanyama is only 19-years old while Holmgren is still just 21. Both players feature high-ceilings and represent the future of the NBA.
It was not long ago that guards and wings dominated the league. Then centers like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid began establishing themselves. Jokic and Embiid made centers cool again, in a sense.
And now, some of basketball's greatest prospects happen to be big men. These are not the centers of the past though. Players like Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren can handle/shoot the ball. The NBA is evolving, and it will truly be fascinating to see how Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren's careers ultimately turn out.
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