Victor Wembanyama entered the NBA as the most anticipated prospect since LeBron James, and with the presence of social media, the gap felt fairly negligible. It was not a question of if he would be great but rather how great he would become. It is difficult to live up to such enormous hype, but Wembanyama might actually be exceeding it during his rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs.
Jamal Crawford thinks so, at least. “This is what you’ll love about him, he’s a little things dude,” the three-time Sixth Man of the Year and current analyst told The Draymond Green Show on Tuesday (includes NSFW content). “That’s the game-changer, so he’s better than the hype. Not cause of the s**t you can see, it’s the s**t you can’t see.”
Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama transcends the box score
When looking at Wembanyama’s 7-foot-3 frame and witnessing his superb skill level (20.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and league-leading 3.2 blocks per game), it is easy to overlook the intangibles he regularly displays on the court. The 20-year-old has composure and emotional intelligence beyond his years, which pairs nicely with an undying will to win.
San Antonio is wasting away at the bottom of the Western Conference with a record of 11-44, but Victor Wembanyama has the tools to quickly launch this franchise back into prominence. He is not allowing this to be a lost season and is absorbing as much knowledge as possible.
It is that keen ear that is really impressing Jamal Crawford, who got a chance to speak to the French center when broadcasting a game against the Atlanta Hawks earlier this year. “He sees me… He comes down, shakes my hand,” the crossover savant told Green. “He doesn’t even say nothing, just puts his head down. He wants some wisdom.”
The Spurs have the right man leading them through these dark days. Wembanyama hopes to soak up a bit more knowledge in Thursday’s road matchup against the Sacramento Kings.
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