5 next NBA stars who could reach 40,000 points in the years to come

3. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

The only rookie to crack this list, Victor Wembanyama is not your ordinary 20-year-old. 

While first-year players typically tend to hit the “rookie wall” as the season progresses and wears on them, Wembanyama has grown stronger with time, most notably since the All-Star break.

Ahead of All-Star Weekend, Wemby averaged 20.5 points while shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc in 28.4 minutes per game. Following the break, Wemby has seen his scoring and efficiency rise across the board, averaging 24.0 points with a 42.9 percent 3-point percentage while playing 31.2 minutes per contest.

The sample size has been small, but Wemby continues to take steps forward with his shooting, and it is unlocking everything else for him on the offensive side of the floor. Not only is he making more threes, but Wembanyama is forcing teams to defend him honestly, creating more space for him to operate in the paint and use his 7-foot-4 frame to create mismatches and draw free throws.

Wembanyama’s offensive skill set isn’t mentioned as much as it should be thanks to his incredible impact on the defensive side of the court but he is already a well-rounded scorer who can beat you in so many different ways in his age-20 campaign and only beginning to scratch the surface of the height of his powers.

With 1,150 career points to his name, Wemby has a ways to go, but time is on his side.