NBA Rookie of the Year ladder: Big rise from Bilal Coulibaly in Week 3
player. 2. Forward. Spurs. Victor Wembanyama. . 29. Victor Wembanyama. 2.
Victor Wembanyama continues to post comical numbers for the San Antonio Spurs, who continue to lose games. The Spurs' struggles aren't really on Wemby, of course, but the last couple weeks have served as a strong reminder that even the best rookies need time. Wembanyama may very well be the greatest prospect since LeBron James, if not ever. He has future 'No. 1 NBA player' upside. And yet, there have been struggles in the early going.
Those struggles won't keept Wemby out of the Defensive Player of the Year race, much less the Rookie of the Year race. He's averaging 18.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.4 blocks on .432/.283/.766 splits. His 8-foot wingspan completely changes the geometry of the game for opposing offenses, and he is already the Spurs' de facto top option on offense. Gregg Popovich hasn't fully reliquished control of the leash, but Wembanyama is allowed plenty of freedom to self-create and seek out fissures in the defense.
That freedom has yielded pros and cons. If there has been one drawback to Wembanyama's atypically skinny frame, it shows up in the turnover department. He doesn't handle physicality or pressure terribly well, which leads to a few ugly turnovers every night. He's currently averaging 3.9 turnovers per game — almost twice his assists number, which ain't great. Rookies struggling with efficiency and ball security is not new, but it's a strike against Wembanyama in a tight race.
The Spurs looked like a potential winner early in the season. Youth has caught up to them with a deflating six-game losing streak, but their fortunes will turn eventually. Wembanyama is already one of the best defenders in the NBA and he's prone to completely absurd stretches of shot-making. His presence as a lob threat has been a significant boon for the Spurs' offense, too. He may not have the No. 1 spot wrapped up now, but there are months of basketball left for Wembanyama to kick it into high gear and put his stamp on this awards campaign.