One of this past season’s biggest storylines was San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama and how his game would translate to the NBA. However, he had no issues adjusting and gave his opponents many problems throughout the season, even Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis.
Standing at 7’4″ with an 8-foot wingspan, Wembanyama quickly became an elite rim protector but needs to continue to build his strength to compete against physical centers. In their first matchup against one another on Dec. 14, Davis dropped 37 points, 10 rebounds and four steals while Wembanyama countered with 30 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and six blocks.
Doing that against an All-Defensive First Team player in Davis should allow the rookie to build more confidence heading into his sophomore season. He earned Davis’ respect as the Lakers star named Wembanyama as one of the toughest players to guard this year, via the Join the Lobby podcast:
“I give you one that’s recent, Wemby. He really like that. You see overseas, I don’t want to say the competition isn’t what the league is, the stuff he was doing and then he’s small, so people are like, ‘Oh, he won’t do that in the league, he’s too small.’ I remember playing him the first time in San Antonio and we was going at it. I think he ended up having like 30 and I had like 40, we was going at it. After the game, we were about to win, I remember, I forgot who was doing the broadcast. But, I looked over there at them at the broadcast, at the table and I was like, ‘Yeah, he like that.’ I mean he is really like that and then just like when they came and then I actually rolled my ankle and sat out the next game, it was a back-to-back in San Antonio. Then when they came to L.A. and played us, I think he had San Antonio’s first 12 points or something. He’s like 7’3″, 7’4″ or some shit like that, can handle, can shoot it. Once he grows into his body and get stronger, it’s going to be a problem and Chet [Holmgren] is like that too. But, Wemby, he is like that.”
With only one season under his belt, Wembanyama won Rookie of the Year, earned an All-Defensive First Team selection and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year. There is no doubt that he will only continue to get better, and next season should feature more entertaining matchups against Davis.
Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama calls LeBron James & Anthony Davis one of best duos in NBA
Victor Wembanyama got to see firsthand how physical of a player Anthony Davis is along with his running mate LeBron James. After playing some games against the Lakers, he called James and Davis one of the best duos in the NBA.