The Whiteboard: Watching Victor Wembanyama in person is magical and terrifying

It only lasted 16 minutes and 44 seconds, but it was magical.

Watching Victor Wembanyama, even in limited preseason minutes, is a treat unlike anything else. Pretty soon, if not already, it will be the most valuable ticket in basketball.

Before the game, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters that Wembanyama would be on a 15-minute restriction. He finished with eight points, seven rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal in 1:44 more than promised.

Within the opening minute, Vic (which is what his teammates and coaches call him) stepped into a pull-up 3 with the casual cool of a Jeremy Allen White fit pic.

He bends the basketball court in ways nobody else can, using his size and skill to build new roads. When he jetted off a pindown screen from the corner and took two dribbles to go from his back-to-the-basket position at the free throw line to a two-handed dunk, I nearly fell out of my chair on Kaseya Center’s media row.

He stopped a fastbreak and forced a turnover by simply being there, which led to him leading a breakaway of his own and finding a teammate for a 30-foot lob dunk.

“You get a chance to play with him every night you see something new, something different,” Chris Paul said. “It’s fun.”

Sprinkled in were some uglier moments. A bad pass that got picked off by Jimmy Butler. Bam Adebayo forcing him into a travel on a play where he should have passed the ball. He’s also 20. Those human moments almost come as a relieving reminder that Vic isn’t here to vaporize the species.

This wasn’t even a particularly alien-like game from Vic, but it’s important to remain grounded in just exactly what we’re seeing. Coaches – his own and opposing – can barely stick to coach speak when offering their appraisal.

“It’s a matter of time,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s an incredible talent, he’s very dedicated as well.”

His teammates rave about things he does on a daily basis, including a one-legged 3-pointer he allegedly made in a recent practice.

Rookie Harrison Ingram went at Vic during a recent practice and beat him with a slow step into a layup. Later on, he tried it again. 

“It didn’t work,” Wembanyama said. “I learned.”

Vic does seem to be learning the game with AI speed and precision. There have been gradual improvements from the start of his rookie season to now. He says his “defensive view of the game” improved during his run with the French national team in the Olympics. He says he takes something from watching Paul and Bam Adebayo on television.

“I feel like I have much more insight and much more control even though we’re still trying different things as a team and individually,” Wembanyama said when asked how things have changed since preseason as a rookie. “Much more control over the tactical and technical aspect of the game.”

I’m not the first one to point out just how impossible Vic appears to be on a basketball court, and I won’t be the last. I can only tell you about my experience and recommend saving up some of your allowance and circling the Spurs when they come into your pathetic, non-Wemby town.

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NBA news roundup: 

• Surprise, surprise. Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out for the remainder of the LA Clippers' preseason, and his status for their season opener Oct. 23 remains uncertain. Leonard has not played this preseason because of inflammation in his right knee.

• The 76ers announced that Paul George has a bone bruise in his left knee and that he will be re-evaluated in a week. He’ll be shut down for the remainder of the preseason but could play in Philadelphia’s regular-season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 23.

• Scottie Barnes nearly finished with a triple-double, tallying 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in the Toronto Raptors’ preseason win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night. He poured in 10 of his 17 shots, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range. The Raptors out-scored most of Boston’s starters by six points in Barnes’ 30 minutes.

Trend worth watching: Gary Trent Jr. emerging as a quality starter

During the Giannis era in Milwaukee, the directives for role players are simple: Defend and make open 3s. Gary Trent Jr. is doing both this preseason, converting on 44.4% of his 3s and playing some of the best defense of his career. 

Trent impressed in Monday night’s preseason win over the Chicago Bulls, finishing with 10 points, two rebounds and two steals in a shade under 26 minutes as the Bucks got their longest look at the starting group so far.

After coming over from Toronto this summer, Trent figures to be part of that starting five. He’s an established 3-point shooter (career 38.6%) with only brief moments of high-end defense. Now in Milwaukee, Trent is being tasked with following in the footsteps of other 3-and-D success stories like Donte DiVincenzo, Grayson Allen and Wesley Matthews. So far, so good.

“Really just trying to hone in on [the defensive] side of the ball,” Trent told reporters Monday night. “Obviously, shots are gonna come, but try to lock in on that and establish myself on that end.”

The Bucks are out-scoring their preseason opponents by a team-high 21 points in Trent’s 55 minutes. His spacing helps Doc Rivers’ newly-installed offense and looks like a lock to continue starting even when Khris Middleton re-enters the lineup.