San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama. Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Victor Wembanyama's assessment of rookie season should terrify rest of NBA

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 4/16/24

Victor Wembanyama entered the NBA as the first overall draft pick in 2023. He has quickly proved the hype surrounding him was justified. At 7-foot-4, he can do things on the court that have never been seen from someone his size.

He played in 71 games for the San Antonio Spurs this season, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a league-leading 3.6 blocks on 46.5% shooting from the field and 32.5% from three-point range.

The rookie big man can see the growth in his game. Wembanyama believes he has developed as a player since he arrived in the NBA. However, during a recent interview with LeFigaro, he noted that he's only 15% of the player we can expect to see in his prime.

“I think that in terms of evolution between my first match and my “prime”, I am at 15% of my capacities today," Wembanyama said.

Victor Wembanyama: I'm At 15% Of My Ability Today https://t.co/PbGnRvInWS
— RealGM (@RealGM) April 16, 2024

Wembanyama averaged a double-double as a rookie in addition to leading the league in blocks. Currently, he projects as a multi-time All-NBA player perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. If those estimates are based on him operating at 15% capacity, his development will be terrifying for the rest of the NBA.

Coming into the league, Wembanyama was expected to be a generational talent. Of course, there was always a risk that his game would struggle to translate to the American game and there were concerns regarding his ability to navigate the physicality of the NBA. Some of those concerns still remain, primarily in regard to staying injury-free.

Nevertheless, if Wembanyama can remain healthy and continue to evolve, it's highly likely that he will become the most talented player on the planet. His size and skill are already proving difficult for teams to contain. Now, teams around the NBA will be hoping that he is actually closer to 50% of the player he will become rather than still having room to add another 85% to his overall talent level.

Either way, Wembanyama is a future superstar and the Spurs just might have another dynasty on their hands. The rest of the league is undoubtedly taking notice and wondering what they can do to try and remain competitive.

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