The Whiteboard: Victor Wembanyama is becoming a scary passer

Today on The Whiteboard, Victor Wembanyama's passing, LeBron James' shooting, Joel Embiid's return and more.

Victor Wembanyama helped the Spurs give the Warriors all they could handle Sunday night before losing, 117-113. But the presumptive Rookie of the Year put up another eye-popping line — 32 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks.

The points, rebounds and disruptive defensive plays have been there since the earliest days of the season but those assist totals are something new. This was his third straight game with at least five assists, and his fourth in the last five contests.

Victor Wembanyama has become a potent distributor

The chart below shows the assist total for every game of Wembanyama's rookie season chronologically. The recent surge, not just in high numbers but in consistency, is kind of hard to miss.

Wembanyama has had 19 games this season with five assists or more and 13 of them have come since Feb. 1. In his first 40 games, he averaged 3.1 assists per game. Over his next 26 games, he's averaged 4.5 assists per game.

That may not seem like a huge jump but it's incredibly significant. In the 3-point era, just 20 centers have averaged four or more assists per game across a full season. No center in that time span has ever done it as a rookie and Brad Daugherty is the only rookie center to average more than the 3.6 assists per game Wembanyama is averaging across the whole season.

Wembanyama's minutes have increased as the season has gone along but they've also been giving him more opportunities to work with the ball in his hands. He's still far more likely to attack and look to score on elbow touches than he is to set up a teammate but that potential is growing.

We have already been forced to reconcile with the idea of Wembanyama as a generational defensive anchor and scorer, with elite finishing ability and 3-point range in a 7-foot-4 frame. But imagining Jokic- or Sabonis-style playmaking on top of that, the ability to function as a facilitation hub in addition to his scoring, could put him on another level.

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Joel Embiid is back

When Joel Embiid went down with a meniscus injury in January, it wasn't clear if the 76ers would have him back this season. Now it seems they'll actually get him back before the end of the regular season in time to ramp up for a playoff run. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported today that Embiid could be back as early as Tuesday night against the Thunder.

The 76ers have seven more games on the schedule and need to jump both the Heat and the Pacers, whom they trail by two full games in the standings, to escape the Play-In Tournament. Embiid has long since missed out on award eligibility so his return is all about establishing as solid a postseason position as possible and building rhythm and fitness for what comes next.

READ MORE:

• Reports: Joel Embiid expected back this week; status vs. Thunder to come by Paul Hudrick, for Liberty Ballers
• Sources say Joel Embiid will return from his knee injury as soon as Tuesday against the Thunder by Keith Pompey, for The Philadelphia Inquirer

QUICK HITTER: LeBron James has never been better beyond the arc

LeBron James has done a lot in his career, smashing all sorts of statistical records and norms. But in his 20 previous seasons, he's only shot better than 40 percent from beyond the arc once. That came back in 2012-13, his third season with the Heat when he hit 40.6 percent of his 3s. In fact, across the two previous seasons, he's only finished above 37.0 percent one other time, and between 36 and 37 percent four other times. LeBron has always been a volume 3-point shooter and he's currently eighth in all-time 3-point makes — but his career 3-point percentage is just 34.8 percent.

That's what makes his performance this year so striking — in his 21st season, he's hit 41.6 percent, which would be a career-high. Players often become better shooters as they age but LeBron's development has been far from linear; he hit 32.1 percent last season and has made just 34.6 percent in his five previous seasons with the Lakers.

The development is being driven primarily by his accuracy on catch-and-shoot attempts — he's made 47.1 this year, up from 34.1 percent last year and well above his typical career average. LeBron is also taking slightly fewer pull-up attempts than he did last season but this catch-and-shoot accuracy is making him an entirely different kind of weapon and helping open the floor for Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell to create.

Recommended Reading:

1. Tennessee's Dalton Knecht is that dude: "Knecht has been scorching nets all season, and especially since SEC play began. This was, in a way, his masterpiece. Although it came in a loss, Knecht went blow-for-blow with college basketball's best player on its biggest stage. He scored in every manner — movement 3s, pull-up jumpers, shifty drives — and he put the Volunteers in position for the upset. A few more moments swing Tennessee's direction, and we're talking about Knecht's chances at Tournament MVP in a week." 8 NBA Draft prospects rising and falling from the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight

2. The throwback big is back: "In a draft class without any sure bets, Clingan stands out because of his bankable skills. It’s safe to say he will be a high-level rim protector with a clear path to potential All-Defensive team consideration. He’s also an excellent finisher at the rim, has magnetic hands, and is a smart-decision maker who can make savvy passes in the paint. So, at a minimum, the team drafting Clingan can feel confident it’s getting a center who brings foundational skills at a critical position." Eleven NBA Observations on the NCAA Tournament, Zach Edey, and Draft Sleepers

3. A late MVP push from Luka Doncic: "This Mavericks team is looking more dangerous by the week, meaning it’s time for Luka’s entire body of work to be revisited for the purposes of a fair voting process. The results, for him and them, should put him on everyone’s short list." Luka Dončić unplugged: Mavs star on MVP, Dallas’ playoff push, talking trash with Vlade and more