It felt inevitable that Victor Wembanyama would establish himself as one of the best players in basketball. However, the dramatic jump that he’s taken in his third season in the league has been something to behold.
Now, he is leading the San Antonio Spurs to one of the best records in the NBA and has them poised to be a potential contender.
JJ Redick Is Ready to Crown Victor Wembanyama
Game after game, his dominance has been on full display, and fans were in for a treat when tuning into the game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Putting in one of the most efficient performances of his career, the French-born superstar earned some high praise from his opponent’s head coach, JJ Redick.
Averaging a career-high in points, rebounds, as he’s taken his efficiency up a notch. Add in the perfect cast around him, and the Spurs are thriving in the Western Conference as the second seed, only behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
But against the Lakers, Wemby had one of his best individual games. Starting with an explosive first quarter in which he tallied 25 points, he finished the night with 40 points and 12 rebounds in just 26 minutes, surpassing the legendary Tim Duncan in career 40-point games.
Mixing his usual dominance on the defensive end with a sublime offensive night, he did his damage from all three levels of the court, knocking down jumpers from the mid-range and the 3-point line, while finishing at a high clip around the rim.
San Antonio ran away with a 136-108 win, and even his opponents couldn’t help but be impressed by the performance he’d put on display. Redick, speaking to reporters at the postgame press conference, had some high words for the two-time All-Star.
“He’s one of the five best players in the world. He’s put that stamp on himself. To me, it’s more than the counting stats with him. Because there’s such an avoidance of him defensively, and there’s an awareness you need to have from him defensively.”
Going beyond the raw numbers, Redick called him the “center” of their entire defensive identity, claiming, “He impacts the game in ways that don’t show up on the box score. He’s one of one as a human, and you can see the collective belief and culture that they’ve established over the last few years with him.”
The impact he has on the court is undeniable, but with the right pieces around him, the Spurs have become an undeniable threat in the West and could potentially give the reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, a run for their money.
