Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan both stood seven feet seven. Shawn Bradley and Yao Ming both stood seven feet six. Being a seven-foot-three shooter, Kristaps Porzingis, often known as the Unicorn, was going to change the game.
Not by a long shot, Victor Wembanyama’s height is what makes him unique.
Oh yeah, he’s tall. He’s listed at seven-foot-four, all legs and arms on what might be described as a spindly body. That’s what first catches the eye. But it’s what he does with that height — the ball-handling, the foot speed, the sheer fluidity of his movements — that is jarring.
The usual “it’s the first two weeks of the season” caveat applies but it’s not unwise to suggest we’ve never seen anything like the San Antonio Spurs rookie. Trying to find some comparable for the 19-year-old Wembanyama is a mug’s game. He’s not a taller Kevin Durant, he’s not a deeper shooter than Kevin Garnett, he’s not this guy or that guy or an improved version of some other guy. And he is, without question, not Bol Bol, the seven-foot-two backup on his third NBA team in five seasons, as Shaquille O’Neal tried to sell to the gullible this week.
“Right now we are in observation mode, we don’t know what his game is going to look like yet,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said on a video call with international basketball writers this week. “His natural abilities, I think, are very broad. We have to see what he’s most effective at, whether it’s posting up, in transition, whether he can be a perimeter player. Seeing him is the best way to know where he fits best and how he can contribute more to the team.”
“There’s an enthusiasm with his game,” Durant said after Wembanyama shredded Durant and the Phoenix Suns for 38 points Thursday night. “You can tell on TV and playing against him, he’s his own player (and) person. He’s going to create his own lane, much different than anybody who’s ever played. You can try to compare but he’s going to carve out his own lane.”
The Raptors get their first look at Wembanyama on Sunday, and they’re as excited as anyone.
“I think a lot of people thought he might need some time adjusting to the NBA, but he seems to have his stuff figured out pretty well,” Raptors centre Jakob Poeltl said Saturday. “Yes, definitely an impressive player. Not really anything like we’ve seen before. So, yeah, it’s going to be a fun challenge.”
The teenager is coming off a startling performance against the Suns, when he took over a close game on the road in the fourth quarter against a championship-calibre opponent. With the game tied 116-116, Wembanyama had 10 of San Antonio’s game-breaking points in a 12-0 run, hitting a three-pointer, making three free throws, dunking once and draining a mid-range jump shot. The Spurs went on to win 132-121.
It was a breakout game and. even though it was just his fifth NBA outing, it provided a look at the scope of Wembanyama’s skills.
He’s not just tall, he’s not just a shooter, he’s not just a dunker, he is a teenager of unlimited potential and he’s just scratching the surface of what he will ultimately become.
“You don’t see guys at 7-6 (actually seven-foot-four) that can play the one through the five, you’re looking the insane stat line, you see 38 and (10 rebounds and two blocks),” veteran Raptors forward Thad Young said. “The insane stat lines, I think, is the craziest thing. His ability to do what he does on the court changes the whole dynamic of what the Spurs do.”
One thing that stands out above all the basketball stuff is Wembanyama’s willingness to accept what he is and not shy away from either the spotlight or the responsibility. He is the most hyped NBA rookie since LeBron James 20 years ago and he has been central to every discussion about the future look of the game since before he was drafted in June. He’s handled it with a maturity beyond his years, doing the interviews, remaining humble, showing that he knows what he doesn’t know and that there is a lot to learn.
He is playing for someone considered one of the top coaches in the history of the game and someone more than willing to discuss the shortcomings of even the best players, often with a verbal force few coaches would attempt. Wembanyama did not cower the first time Popovich verbally blistered him.
“I forgot one play that we added today actually,” Wembanyama said after blowing one assignment in his second NBA game. “It’s a rookie mistake, 100 per cent legitimate for him to yell at me in that moment. I apologized after the game.”
That kind of character is special.
“A lot of people have talent, but those who end up being superstars have something that others don’t have. It’s something that’s in their mind,” Popovich said this week, “They have character, self-confidence, unique discipline, excellent fundamentals. They can compete and they are persevering day after day and year after year.
“They follow a path that allows them to be excellent, that’s what’s special, that unique character. And you don’t find that in every player.”
There are sure to be blips in Wembanyama’s rookie season, stretches where the grind gets to him and his performance levels off. But there are also going to be special games, memorable games that will illustrate just how promising his long-term future is.
It will demonstrate that he is something unique and not just a tall child.
“I was speaking with other Spurs friends, and they told me that while they were aware of his talent, they were unaware of his work ethic and humility. On Saturday, Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic remarked, “He’s got a fantastic family. They are raving about him, really, really loudly. He is a player that will continue to rule this league for many years to come. Years will pass as we learn about all the protections he will require and the steps you must take to slow him down.
Devin Booker of Phoenix stated, “Everyone knows that he’s an incredible talent.” “We’re just attempting to ascertain his identity, as we haven’t seen him before.”
