No matter who held the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Victor Wembanyama was going to be the first player selected. Now it is official, as the French big man is heading to the San Antonio Spurs.
Arguably the greatest draft prospect the league has seen since LeBron James in 2003, Wembamnyama enters the NBA as a generational talent. Some have already begun comparing his game to the likes of Kevin Durant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which shows just how talented he really is.
Now the face of the Spurs, Wembanyama enters the league with extremely high expectations and will be the heavy favorite to win the league's Rookie of the Year Award.
Here is everything you need to know about new Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama.
Victor Wembanyama's Pre-NBA Basketball Career
After making his professional debut for Nanterre 92 in France at the age of 15, Victor Wembanyama very quickly proved that he was going to be something special. As he continued to grow and gain experience, he outgrew playing for the under-21 team and became one of the best, youthful players in Europe.
After spending time with Nanterre, Wembanyama joined ASVEL Basket and most recently played for Metropolitans 92 this past season, taking them to the French League Championship. A two-time LNB All-Star and the 2023 Pro A Most Valuable Player, Wembanyama played in 34 regular-season game this year, averaging 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game.
Standing 7-foot-4 with an 8-foot wingspan, there really is no stopping this year's top pick on either end of the floor. He has proven to be an elite rim protector given his length and is an extremely gifted offensive talent with the ball in his hands. From shooting threes to gathering offensive boards to being able to get to his spots, Wembanyama truly can be a primary ball handler for his team despite being a center and can get from the three-point line to the rim in just two steps. There was nobody in Europe that could contain his talents, and this will likely carry over to the NBA.
Victor Wembanyama's NBA Draft Fit With Spurs
There were never any questions about who would be going first overall in this year's draft. This was a decision made last NBA offseason, as teams were fixated on the 2023 NBA Draft and Victor Wembanyama throughout the course of the 2022-23 season. In fact, it would not be a surprise if some teams intentionally lost some games to try and better their draft odds in this year's lottery. The Spurs ultimately ended up being the lucky winner from this year's lottery, and Wembanyama is exactly the type of player they were lacking.
Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell are two versatile scoring options the Spurs have out on the wing, and they have been developing talents such as Tre Jones and Malaki Branham in their backcourt. Adding frontcourt depth was going to be a point of emphasis for this franchise heading into this year's draft regardless of where their pick resided. Now, they end up with the best prospect who just so happens to be a center.
Perhaps the best part about Wembanyama going to San Antonio compared to other teams around the league is the fact that they have capable secondary talents and scorers. The Spurs have not really had a go-to star player over the last few seasons, which has stunted their growth as a young, high-potential team. Johnson and Vassell are capable scorers and emerging talents, but they are not true stars like Wembanyama will be. As the second and third options, they will thrive next to the French big man, especially since he will be a factor in pick-and-roll sets.
Not to mention, Gregg Popovich is still on the sideline in San Antonio and he knows a thing or two about how to play through a talented big man, as he won five titles with Tim Duncan doing so. Out of anywhere Victor Wembanyama could have ended up, the Spurs truly are the best spot for him in terms of how they play and what their needs were entering the draft.
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