- Victor Wembanyama is the most hyped rookie in the NBA since LeBron James
- Despite being 7’5″, Victor Wembanyama will reportedly not play at center for the San Antonio Spurs next season
- Victor Wembanyama is expected to start at power forward for the San Antonio Spurs as a rookie
Every NBA fan in the world is waiting to watch Victor Wembanyama play in the 2023-24 season. His debut is widely anticipated and it had been expected that he would play center for his new team.
According to a report from Shams Charania though, that doesn’t seem to be the case for Victor Wembanyama. He explained that the French phenom will play power forward instead.
“Wembanyama’s a player that’s going to have generational ability in the league. Expect him to play power forward, the four position, to start his NBA career. And the Spurs will look for Zach Collins to be a guy to provide size next to Victor Wembanyama in the front court.”
You could say the Spurs had an eventful offseason…
Lots of additions along with Wemby, and @ShamsCharania has more on San Antonio's summer pic.twitter.com/ypDHRlZgqr
— Stadium (@Stadium) September 7, 2023
Victor Wembanyama is such an exciting prospect because of his ability to handle the ball and shoot it at a high level despite being 7’5″. He is far from being a bruiser in the post, although many might have expected him to play at center regardless.
Victor Wembanyama’s Shot Blocking May Suffer From Playing Away From The Basket
The modern NBA big men are all expected to shoot the ball at a high level and be able to play around the perimeter. And while that has its advantages it may come at something of a cost.
Victor Wembanyama is an elite shot-blocker thanks to his length and agility. Draymond Green said Wembanyama could become a star in the league immediately simply thanks to this ability he possesses.
However, if he does play as a power forward for the San Antonio Spurs, this might be something that gets compromised. Victor Wembanyama playing next to another big might limit his ability to dominate defensively in the paint.
The Spurs and Gregg Popovich will have their plans for this, and he is likely starting at power forward to allow him to ease into the physicality of the NBA. But they will have to be careful to not take one of Victor Wemvanyama’s biggest weapons away from him.
There Are Massive Expectations From Victor Wembanyama
They say that with great power comes great responsibility, and failure is simply not an option for someone like Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs man will be expected to win Rookie Of The Year as a minimum requirement to live up to the hype around him.
Victor Wembanyama has been working hard in the offseason and is looking good, but becoming a dominant big man in the NBA is very much easier said than done. The expectations on his shoulders don’t help, Jerry West said it feels like he will be an ‘iconic’ player.
“He is one of those players that you feel like he’s gonna be an iconic player,” West said. “He’s highly skilled. He can run, he can shoot threes, I think his best skill is going to be blocking shots early in his career.
“He’s pretty spectacular. But if you put a microphone in front of him, he is fantastic. He is more than a basketball player. He is someone who gives the league another positive voice…”
Having that kind of pressure can be a killer for any youngster, but Wembanyama has everything it takes to live up to the hype. The big man will want to get the hang of the game early and hopefully will be playing center by the time his rookie season ends.
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