To be able to move around like he does and score from anywhere on the floor is what makes Victor Wembanyama such an intriguing talent. A player unlike any other we have seen in NBA history, Wembanyama has already begun to change the San Antonio Spurs, one of the league's most historic franchises that has struggled in recent years.
The Spurs entered Tuesday night with a 1-2 record after the first week of the season, falling short of beating the Dallas Mavericks in their first game of the season and then getting blown out by 40 points against the Los Angeles Clippers. A young team that is still growing and looking to find an identity this season, San Antonio may have struck gold with what they found against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
At halftime, the Spurs trailed the Suns 63-45. Phoenix hit two free throws coming out of the break to take a 20-point lead, their largest of the night. On a Halloween night meant for tricks and treats, we were the ones who got tricked into thinking this game was over. The treat was seeing Wembanyama and the Spurs quietly hang around in the third quarter until they went on a run in the fourth, leaving Footprint Center speechless.
Outscoring the Suns 37-32 in the third quarter, the Spurs continued to chip away at Phoenix's lead in the fourth, as this went from a 10-point game to a 5-point game, to a 3-point game, and then just a 1-point game after Wemby threw down a dunk with six seconds remaining. What came next may just be the highlight of the 2023-24 season thus far.
With Tre Jones, Keldon Johnson, and Jeremy Sochan all flocking to Kevin Durant on the inbounds pass, the Spurs forced a turnover and Johnson was the one to put his team up one point with 1.2 seconds left in the game. Trying to play catch up to the Suns the entire game, the Spurs came away with an incredible comeback victory, leading for all of 1.2 seconds.
Whether you want to call this a complete collapse by the Suns or incredible fight by the Spurs, or a little bit of both, there is no denying that this youthful group in San Antonio has an edge to them. Winning in the NBA is not easy and Wembanyama recognized this in his postgame remarks, claiming he wants to celebrate every win in this league.
“You know, Pop [Gregg Popovich] always tells us [to be] humble in victory, but celebrate and enjoy it,” Wemby said after the game. “To me, every win is crazy for me. Obviously, this is the NBA and I am new here, but every win, as small as it is, I feel great and want to celebrate it. Especially this big-time win.”
The talk surrounding this comeback is focused on the steal by Johnson and the winning basket to give the Spurs the victory, but Victor Wembanyama's late-game heroics ultimately propelled his team to a massive, statement win early on in the season. While he's only played in four games this year, the 2023 first overall pick has already begun making his case for being one of the most clutch players in the league.
Victor Wembanyama shows up in “clutch time” for Spurs
Big-name players step up for their team in the biggest moments of a game. The NBA is a star-driven league and teams constantly turn to their All-Star talents tie games or when they need a clutch shot. Victor Wembanyama has been the picture-perfect star for the Spurs not only because of what he's done offensively in big moments, but because of what he's done specifically in the fourth quarter of games.
Through the first 36 minutes of a game so far this season, Wembanyama has averaged 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.5 turnovers. He's also shot 10-32 (31.3%) from the floor through the first three quarters of a game. However, Wembanyama has come to life in the fourth quarter and in overtime for the Spurs, averaging 8.3 points, and 3.5 rebounds, and has turned the ball over just five times when it matters most. He's also shot 13-18 (72.2%) from the floor in the fourth and overtime, including two made threes.
At just 19 years old, Wemby has the poise and demeanor of a seasoned veteran in this league, which is why he's such a unique and special talent. Whether he's dealing with foul trouble or missing shots early on in the game, the Spurs rookie has never put his head down. Wembanyama is always encouraging his teammates when he's on the sideline and while it's a small sample size, he's stepped up tremendously in the fourth quarter of play.
Going from 31.3 percent shooting from the floor through the first three quarters to shooting 72.2 percent in the final quarter and overtime combined is just simply remarkable. There are even multi-time All-Stars that don't have clutch shooting splits like this.
Wembanyama is a special talent who not only is creating an early Clutch Player of the Year resume during his rookie campaign, but he's laying the foundation for what could wind up being some very special years in San Antonio down the road.
Head coach Gregg Popovich and this organization understand what it takes to win a title and for this young group, they just need time to mature and grow. Rebuilding is stressful, especially for fans of the team, and losses are just a part of the journey. However, wins like Tuesday night over the Suns allow a rebuilding team like the Spurs to continue taking steps up the ladder, inching closer to emerging from their rebuild as a real threat in the Western Conference.
Kevin Durant vs. Victor Wembanyama
As much as Tuesday's matchup between the Suns and Spurs was a thriller, no pun intended given that it was on Halloween, this was also the very first time Kevin Durant and Victor Wembanyama played one another. Durant has long been an idol to many prospects who enter the NBA and Wemby is no different.
The French big man has always said that he's taken inspiration from Durant, putting pieces of the All-Star's game in his own seeing as they are both lengthy players who can spread their offensive game across the court. Wembanyama scored 18 points in the Spurs' victory, as Durant led the Suns in scoring with 26 points.
In fact, the 35-year-old made Wembanyama witness a little bit of history on Tuesday night, as Durant passed 27,000 career points. Not only is he the 12th player in league history to pass the 27,000-point mark, but he is the fourth fastest player to do so, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Durant is a basketball savant and he has played against and with some of the best players in league history through the years. To say he knows a thing or two about greatness is an understatement, as he himself is arguably one of the best scorers to ever enter the NBA. Following Tuesday's game, Durant spoke about his first game against Wembanyama, claiming that the Spurs rookie will be a force in the league for many years to come.
“Yeah, he's a unique player. He's going to be a force in this league for a long time,” Durant stated. “Once he continues to get experience under his belt he's going to get even better.”
For Wembanyama, his focus was on winning the game and making sure his teammates were the best version of themselves. After the game though, he opened up on being able to share the court with the superstar and how Durant continues to inspire him.
“I learned that I’m far from mastering the game as much as him [Kevin Durant],” Wemby stated after the game. “I try to do some stuff like him but I think I’m maybe not patient enough. I think I go too fast. He goes to his own pace and goes to his spots. I think I have to, not copy that, but get inspired by that.”
What Wembanyama has been able to achieve thus far with the at such a young age in his first NBA season with the Spurs is amazing. Four games into the 82-game season, we have already witnessed what the Spurs big man is capable of doing. Already a clutch player and able to lead his team to wins late in the game, Wembanyama is only going to continue getting better as the season goes on.
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