Every year one prospect is hyped up immensely in NBA drafts, to the point of drawing insane comparisons to current NBA stars. For the most part, these prospects cannot live up to this billing and even fewer can surpass their draft comparisons. However, many have this year’s number one draft pick Victor Wembanyama being one of the greatest players in the near future. Some even believe he will turn out better than players like Lebron James, one of the greatest players in basketball’s history. 

So is this true? We obviously do not since the NBA season has not started and even then, Wembanyama’s value as a player can only be judged after a few seasons in the NBA, but Spurs fans have a lot to look forward to just based on his attributes and pre-season highlights. First off to those who do not know who Victor Wembanyama is, he is a 19-year-old from France who was highly-touted due to his size and technical ability. 

With ball handling and shooting only reminiscent of a point guard, a defense that would put him with the best in the league as a rookie, and athleticism that would make him a mismatch for literally every player in the league, it is easy to see why everyone is so high on this young man. His shooting is also decent and will only improve as he adjusts to the league. Oh yeah, Wemby is also doing all this at the small size of 7’4”. For non-basketball fans, there have only been 13 other players in all of NBA history that size, and none of them have the ability and speed of Wembanyama. Usually, players taller than 7 feet are severely restricted in speed and athleticism, but once again Wembanyama proves to be a unicorn in that he is arguably the fastest and most agile big man prospect ever. 

So you are probably asking why in the world would anyone say anything against Wembanyama, he is a unicorn, once-in-a-generation type of player. The main drawbacks against Wemby (His nickname) are his durability and inefficient 3-point shooting. For his size, Wemby looks like a twig. Even though he has not faced injury problems any time in his EuroLeague career, a few analysts fear that against the faster-paced, stronger centers, he will snap. His 3-point shooting, which is already an exceptional characteristic for a 7’ foot player to have, has been at a low percentage, meaning he is inefficient when he shoots it. Personally, I do not understand this one as he does not need 3-point shooting, he would still be a generational player without it. 3-point shooting is just the icing on the cake for this player. 

Overall, if you don’t watch basketball and only know players like Lebron, Steph Curry, and Michael Jordan, another rookie has great potential to join them. Victor Wembanyama is a generational player and will light not just the league, but the world on fire! 

Sources:

Williams, Madison. “Victor Wembanyama Went between the Legs of His Defender and NBA Fans …” Sports Illustrated, 18 Oct. 2023, www.si.com/nba/2023/10/19/victor-wembanyama-spurs-between-legs-nba-fans-blown-away.