The Victor Wembanyama hype train seems to be accelerating every day. A monstrous start to his third season in the league has coincided with the San Antonio Spurs emerging as a legitimate threat in the Western Conference.
But seemingly, in every game, it is the French-born superstar who leaves everyone shell-shocked.
Bronny James Simply Explains the Victor Wembanyama Advantage
Facing the Los Angeles Lakers at home, he put on a masterful performance. But one of the more hilarious moments of the night came when, after having failed at everything else, head coach JJ Redick tried to use the undersized Bronny James to try to guard him. Walking away from the interaction, the younger James could only offer a funny quip.
Fans may have been disappointed to learn that many of LA’s key stars wouldn’t be suiting up for the game. But, even on a night with no Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, or LeBron James, Wembanyama offered ample entertainment.
Pouring in 25 points in just eight minutes in the first quarter, he had a masterful opening that carried over for the entirety of the contest. Finishing with a 40-point, 12-rebound double-double, he eclipsed Tim Duncan in career 40-point games. But the dominance from Wemby went far beyond just the raw numbers he put up on the court. With his combination of length and athleticism, he was a deterrent at the rim all night long.
Mixing that defensive prowess with a versatile offensive game, which included scoring from all three levels. An array of three-pointers, alongside continuous jumpers from the mid-range, while remaining an elite finisher at the rim, made him virtually unguardable.
As a result, the Lakers had no answers for him, leading Redick to deploy some unorthodox combinations to make life difficult for him. One such plan included James, who tried to guard him a few times. Unfortunately, the size discrepancy proved to be too much, and he couldn’t stop the onslaught from the two-time NBA All-Star.
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Speaking to reporters after the game, the sophomore acknowledged the challenges of guarding someone who is much bigger than him. “It’s something else for sure,” he began, while sharing a laugh about the serious size mismatch. “I’m one of the smaller guys on the floor guarding the tallest guy in the league. It’s definitely a challenge but I’m up for anything.”
While his mentality has certainly afforded him more opportunities on a semi-regular basis with the Lakers, his size disadvantage holds him back to a large extent when facing other elite NBA players.
