Victor Wembanyama experienced a very special moment this Saturday in Washington. The French center of the San Antonio Spurs faced Bilal Coulibaly, shooting guard for the Washington Wizards, his friend from childhood and adolescence, with whom he had been playing and dreaming since he was 12 years old. Both jumped at the same time from the Parisian Metropolitans 92 to the NBA, the best basketball league in the world. It was a day of celebration for both of them. Wembanyama has a special date with another rookie this week, but a less festive one. He faces this Wednesday once morest Chet Holmgren who, surprisingly, is challenging the Frenchman for the rookie of the year title.
That recognition seemed to have Wembanyama’s name written this year before the season even started. The center was chosen as number one in the draft of 2023 by the San Antonio Spurs. Coaches, rivals and experts see him as having the potential to mark an era in the NBA thanks to his enormous height and his ability with the ball. However, 21-year-old Holmgren, chosen second last year but unable to make his debut until this season due to injury, is making it difficult.
Wembanyama is the rookie with the best numbers in several of the main statistics, such as scoring (19.8 points per game), blocks (3.1), rebounds (10.1) and steals (1.1). For his part, Holmgren is second in points (17.3) and blocks (2.5) and third in rebounds (7.2), but he has clearly higher percentages of success in triples and field goals than the Frenchman. All in all, the main asset of the 2.16 meter tall American center is that he is helping to make his team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, one of the great surprises of the year.
The Thunder are second in the NBA Western Conference, with 29 wins and 13 losses, partly due to the spectacular form of the Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 25, but also due to the young Jalen Williams, 22, and Holmgren. On the other hand, the Wembanyama Spurs are bottom of the Western Conference, with 8 wins and 34 losses. In the NBA as a whole, only the dismantled Wizards of his friend Coulibaly and the catastrophic Detroit Pistons are worse, who have left some play that portrays how they have fallen from the bottom.
In the previous game between both rookies, in November, the Thunders surpassed the Spurs (123-87), which gives an idea of the difference in level between both teams. That day neither Wembanyama nor Holmgren were very successful with the basket and were left with only 8 and 9 points, respectively.
Of course, there is open debate regarding to what extent individual and team merits should take precedence. The problem for Wembanyama is that despite already being by far the best of the Spurs, he has rarely shown himself capable of leading them. He did achieve it this Saturday once morest the Wizards in Washington, where he led his team to victory (127-131). The Spurs number 1 was the top scorer of the game, with 24 points, to which he added 8 rebounds, 6 blocks and 4 assists. With his height (2.23 meters) and wingspan, this time he became the owner of the hoop, something that usually costs him due to his small size. And he was also the master of the show, the public was attentive to his plays and sighs of admiration ran through the stands at his actions, as only happens with the chosen ones.
After the game, at the doors of the San Antonio Spurs locker room, with that calm and tranquility that he transmits in person, Wembanyama was satisfied with the game and saw it as the way forward: “I imagine myself playing as a decisive player, and also with a variety of skills, being able to receive the ball and when the defense is looking at me, send it to my teammates. It seems simple, but it is difficult on the court, it is a matter of adapting.”
Improvement in aggressiveness
Some of that adaptation is already underway. His coach, Gregg Popovich, has also reviewed his evolution midway through the season. In his opinion, where he has progressed the most is “probably in aggressiveness.” He has also changed his playing style somewhat. “He’s not so worried regarding three-point shots,” he said, and he’s getting closer to the basket, which alternates with his assists. And he has also progressed on defense: “He is becoming a good rim protector,” explains Popovich. Beyond 3.1 blocks per game, his presence is intimidating for rivals who get to the basket.
Despite being his first season, Wembanyama has already left some statistics for history. On January 10, he achieved the first triple-double of his career with 16 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and no turnovers in just 21 minutes. His performance once morest the Pistons became the second-fastest triple-double in NBA history. On December 13, he added 30 points, 13 rebounds and 6 blocks once morest the Lakers, joining a list that includes David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and Chris Webber, the other rookies who have achieved the minus 30 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocks in a game. And a few days before, he was in the game of 20: once morest the Timberwolves he achieved at least 20 points and 20 rebounds at less than 20 years old. Only Dwight Howard had done it before. It was also the 20th game of the season.
Both Wembanyama and Holmgren appear on the lists of the most voted for the all-star game on February 18, although the competition is tough and they only have a guaranteed place for the rookie tournament. The Frenchman also wants to participate in the skills contest.
Holmgren has dazzled a little less, but he has become a mainstay for the Thunders, who did not even enter the playoffs last season. In the Eastern Conference, the season has reached midway with the Boston Celtics, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers in first place, fulfilling the predictions. In the West, however, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Thunders are ahead of the champions, the Denver Nuggets. The center missed the entire last season due to a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, so he has become a rookie a year late, in time to challenge the player called to mark an era.
