When enjoying for a franchise that’s seen legends of the sport like Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginóbili swimsuit up, there are at all times going to be lofty expectations to fill. 

While you’re the primary general decide within the draft and probably the most extremely touted prospects since LeBron James himself, these requirements leap exponentially greater.

The San Antonio Spurs gained the draft lottery on the finish of the 2022-23 NBA season, and with it, 19-year-old phenomenon Victor Wembanyama. Whereas we’ve seen different latest prime picks fail to fill the sneakers they’re given, Wembanyama is getting into the most effective conditions potential, a steady franchise (though the Spurs have struggled in latest seasons) with an NBA Corridor of Famer in head coach Greg Popovich on the helm. The items are already in place for Wembanyama to succeed, however right here’s a take a look at further components that might assist him come into his personal and attain his prescribed ceiling as one of many higher gamers in NBA historical past.

An Underrated Angle On Victor Wembanyama

One fascinating factor to bear in mind is how Parker will match into the image as Wembanyama adjusts to San Antonio. Born in Belgium, Parker grew up in France, attending highschool in Paris and enjoying professionally there earlier than the Spurs drafted him in 2001.

The 2 don’t have a lot in frequent on the courtroom—Parker stands 6-foot-2, greater than a foot shorter than the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama (though they’ve each proven a penchant for scoring from the paint throughout their respective careers)—however their shared background may give Wembanyama an vital mentor. 

One factor that Parker will help with is instructing Wembanyama tips on how to regulate to Popovich’s hard-charging teaching fashion. Popovich does his finest to unlock the expertise of the gamers he coaches, even when it doesn’t at all times make him common, whether or not it’s turning Parker right into a two-way star or attempting to show Kawhi Leonard into a pacesetter. Parker and Popovich have been infamous for butting heads throughout the former’s enjoying profession as Popovich did his finest to coax probably the most out of Parker’s expertise… even when it didn’t at all times sit properly with the Belgian native. 

Parker and Wembanyama have already interacted with one another fairly a bit, spending time collectively within the pre-draft course of when it turned clear that the Spurs had the highest decide. 

They’ve additionally identified one another for years, with Parker saying he knew Wembanyama and his household lengthy earlier than the 19-year-old turned a global famous person. 

Having an NBA Corridor of Famer with the same background to him is a superb useful resource for Wembanyama to have in his courtroom as he will get used to enjoying for Popovich.

Persevering with Improvement

Whereas Parker might be an enormous assist for Wembanyama as he continues to regulate to the NBA, it’s additionally vital for him to have assets shut at hand, ones in tune with what the Spurs are as much as. When Parker joined the Spurs, he had legends throughout him to be taught from like Duncan and Robinson: this version of the Spurs is a unique story, as that they had one of many youngest rosters within the NBA on opening day final season, coming in at No. 3 with a mean age of 23.84 years. 

One budding chief within the Spurs’ younger locker room is Keldon Johnson. Johnson is from Virginia and gained a gold medal with Crew USA in 2021. After a breakout 2021-2022 season Keldon Johnson signed a four-year, $80 million extension. You’ll be able to wager his hometown followers will likely be utilizing Virginia Sportsbook promos to get in on the motion all NBA season. With the largest present cap hit on the Spurs’ roster, Johnson seems to be a long-term a part of San Antonio’s plans, cherishing the management function he took on final season.

How Victor Wembanyama Matches Up

As soon as once more, with a historical past of proficient large males like Duncan and Robinson, the comparisons Wembanyama attracts to them are inevitable: right here’s a take a look at how they stack up. The obvious comparability that leaps out is dimension. Wembanyama is taller than Duncan and Robinson ever have been, however he’s loads lighter, weighing round 210 kilos. Each the elder Spurs sat round 250 kilos throughout their enjoying careers, serving to them turn out to be dominant defensive presences (and a pressure to be reckoned with when working down low). 

Wembanyama has rejected the notion that he must bulk up, saying that he prefers his lanky construct: it’s potential to turn out to be stronger with out constructing muscle mass, and it looks like that’s what he desires to do. Wembanyama compares properly to Robinson on the subject of shot-blocking. It’s uncommon for a person of that dimension to have glorious mobility, however these two are an exception to that rule, with excessive defensive ceilings due to their capacity to get again down the courtroom. 

Victor Wembanyama has acquired comparisons to Duncan as properly for his all-around capacity (particularly as he continues to develop), although it stays to be seen if he’ll have the identical clutch gene that Duncan had.