In a chat with reporters this weekend, rising NBA star Victor Wembanyama spoke candidly about his rookie season. Looking back on his performance and all that he accomplished over the past 8 months, Victor says he feels proud to be the rookie of the year, even if the team wasn’t very great.
“[It means] everything,” said Wemby. “Of course, I want to win as soon as possible and for the team success to be there but I didn’t expect to be champions in my first year. This is one of the representations of our progression throughout the year and the efforts we made on the court. And I think receiving the trophy now with fans, with kids, with everyone happy to be there, it’s a good feel for me and a good representation of the love that we felt the whole year. To me, this is the right way to receive it.”
Wemby on what it means to win Rookie of the Year and receive the trophy w/many teammates present & during an event w/students
“Everything”
Vic then talks about wanting to win asap & how the award is a reflection of the team’s growth and efforts
Full answer⬇️
Video from #Spurs pic.twitter.com/oBPvaxCRLm
— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) May 11, 2024
After a relatively sluggish start to his career, Victor really came on in the second half of the season. With superstar efforts on both ends of the floor, he quickly rose to the top of the NBA hierarchy and proved himself as one of the best young players in the league.
Through 71 games this season, he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and a league-high 3.6 blocks per game on 46% shooting. His impact was remarkable on both ends of the floor and he provided a steady presence for the Spurs all season long.
Sadly, for all of Victor’s efforts, the Spurs were only able to win 22 games all season and they finished as the 14th seed in the West. It was all those losses that impeded his Rookie of the Year case the most and it likely cost him a chance for winning the Defensive Player of the Year, which went to Rudy Gobert for the fourth time.
Wembanyama Is Ready To Win Now
Under most circumstances, teams would have years to build a contending roster around their budding young superstar. And while Victor has been pretty patient with the Spurs to this point, it’s clear that he wants to start winning games as soon as possible.
For now, Victor can do nothing but wait and let the front office go to work but if the Spurs don’t build a better situation for him soon, it could start to strain his loyalty to the franchise.
This summer, despite a limited pool of assets, the Spurs are likely to be aggressive in their pursuit of talent at every position and they are likely to star in the backcourt. if the Spurs can sign a proven guard like Trae Young or Dejounte Murray, it would open up the floor in brand new ways for Wembanyama and it might allow the team to play with some more structure and flow offensively.
If not Trae or Murray, don’t be surprised to see the Spurs make a run for Paul George, whose veteran experience and two-way expertise make for a great fit alongside Wembanyama. With an appropriate offer, they have a chance to lure George from the Clippers to assemble a new star duo in Texas.
But whether it’s Paul George, Trae Young, or some other player not yet mentioned, the Spurs are going to be hard at work in the pursuit of some help for their priced superstar and he knows just as much as anyone that the process can take some time. Hopefully, he’s not waiting too long before the proper reinforcements arrive.
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