When the 2023 NBA season kicks off Thursday, French phenom Victor Wimpanyama will inevitably be the first player to be selected and become a member of the San Antonio Spurs.
Seven years after Tim Duncan retired and five years after Kawhi Leonard was traded, Spurs are expected to become important again in the rush thanks to Wimpanyama’s unique abilities.
The big guy says the big advantage he’s had so far is the fact that he’s been “the guy” on his team, something that doesn’t really happen for a small player like him, as Tim Bontemps points out.
Victor Winbaniyama said he was excited to have the opportunity to be the favorite in his team this season and take on that responsibility, which is unusual for a player of his age group in Europe.
– TimBontemps June 21, 2023
Wembanyama is only 19 years old, and while it’s far from the final product, it appears to be on a steep upward trajectory.
While with his French side, Metropolitans 92, this season, he has shown a fluidity with the ball that is almost unheard of for a man of his size.
Perhaps only Ralph Sampson, a hulking 7-foot-4 center who was the first pick in the 1983 NBA draft, had advanced ball-handling skills while standing high above the ground.
There are some who are a little skeptical of all the hype surrounding Mbaniyama, and of course, he’ll have to prove he’s worth all the hype once the NBA season gets underway in October.
The idea is that because he’s so young and still somewhat undeveloped, it’ll take him a few years to become what he’ll become, but he can become the type of transcendent player who hits the league once every decade or two.
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