Budding young star Victor Wembanyama has expressed nothing but loyalty to the San Antonio Spurs. But according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, his loyalty may wear thin if the Spurs don’t start winning more games.
“Victor is here and he wants to win,” said Shelburne. “I don’t know how patient he’s going to be [with the Spurs]. Because when I watch him play he’s competitive, he wants to win…. how long do you give them, a year or two? I don’t think he wants to sit here at the bottom of the lottery standings.”
Victor, 20, is still in his rookie contract and has no power over his situation until after his deal expires. But in today’s player empowerment era, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Wembanyama put pressure on the front office to make a move or risk losing him in the future. So far, however, Victor has shown no signs of wanting out.
In San Antonio, the Spurs made it clear to Wembanyama that the road to contention was going to be a long one and they have advised their star not to take any shortcuts in the process. Even so, nothing could have prepared Victor for what this campaign has been.
Despite the impressive numbers (20.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game) Wemby has been unable to make the Spurs competitive in games and it has become a source of major frustration for him. This season the Spurs aren’t just a lottery team, they are one of the worst teams in NBA history. At 13-48 this season, the Spurs rank dead last in the West and are just months removed from a franchise-record 18-game losing streak.
Heading into the summer, the Spurs face a lot of questions about their future, and Victor is at the center of them all as a rising NBA superstar. If the Spurs cannot satisfy his thirst for success soon enough, the noise about his potential departure will only grow louder.
The Clock Is On For The San Antonio Spurs
Through his first 55 games, Victor Wembanyama has proven to be the next great NBA superstar. Victor’s versatile offensive game coupled with the best defensive repackage in the NBA makes him among the best two-way basketball players in the world right now.
It’s even more shameful, then, that he’s spending such an impressive run on a team that has no chance to even compete for the play-in. To date, Victor is the only member of the Spurs roster who is considered untouchable but he can’t get it done by himself.
This offseason, look for the Spurs to upgrade in several areas, including on the wing and in the backcourt. Recently, the franchise has been connected to several high-profile names, such as Trae Young and even Warriors veteran Klay Thompson.
For now, the Spurs are still trying to develop the young guys they have and figure out which ones are worth keeping around as they navigate from being a rebuilding team to one actively trying to get better and build around their star.
But if they don’t get results soon, Victor will grow more restless, and the uncertainty of his NBA future will continue to be a major storyline of his young career.
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