- Victor Wembanyama is one of the most hyped prospects in NBA history
- Paul Pierce has been impressed with what he has seen from the Frenchman
- Pierce thinks Wembanyma is going to spend a lot of time at the free-throw line
Victor Wembanyama has some very high expectations placed on him, and Paul Pierce believes he is going to deliver in his rookie season. On the latest episode of the Ticket & The Truth podcast, Pierce spoke about what he thinks Wembanyama’s 2023-24 season with the San Antonio Spurs is going to look like.
“With his height and his ability to be a lob threat at the rim and just the natural ability that he’s showing now, I can see him giving you like eight free throws a night,” Pierce said. “Just on fouls… He can give you 18 and 10 his first year.”
"He (Victor Wembanyama) can give you 18 points and 10 rebounds his first year" – Paul Pierce @paulpierce34 and I believe @wemby gon be a double double machine his rookie year.. what y'all think his stat line gon be? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/uGig3kOAnt
— Kevin Garnett (@KevinGarnett5KG) August 15, 2023
Considering the mismatch with Wembanyama being 7″4′, he might get a lot of opportunities at the line, as his defenders would have little choice but to foul him, at times. Interestingly, the averages that Pierce mentioned there were exactly what the 19-year-old put up in the Summer League.
In two games at the Las Vegas Summer League, Wembanyama averaged 18.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals, and 4.0 blocks per game. He only shot 68.8% from the free-throw line, though, which is something you’d want him to improve on.
The last rookie to average a double-double was Deandre Ayton, as he put up 16.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in the 2018-19 campaign. Ayton was the first pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, just as Wembanyama was the first pick of the 2023 Draft.
Jerry West Is Very High On Victor Wembanyama
Over the course of NBA history, there have been few who have had a better eye for talent than Jerry West. He was the one who first realized that Kobe Bryant could be something special and is one of the greatest executives in league history.
West stated that Wembanyama is like a bigger version of Bill Russell after his Summer League debut, and that is some very high praise. The current Los Angeles Clippers executive says that the Frenchman can ruin games with his defensive prowess.
West also feels like Wembanyama is going to be an iconic player and thinks he is highly skilled. He believes the teenager’s shot-blocking ability is what will shine through earlier in his career, and we certainly saw that in the Summer League.
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