A silver-medal end on the 2024 Paris Olympics might have been the best harbinger for Victor Wembanyama’s second NBA season. After his nation, France, misplaced to Group USA in the gold-medal game on Saturday night time, Wemby issued a warning to all his future opponents.
“I am studying, and I am anxious for the opponents in a few years,” Wemby advised reporters, via Mike Finger of San Antonio Express-News.
When requested if he was referring to his opponents in FIBA competitions or the NBA, Wemby responded, “All over the place.”
The 20-year-old phenom scored a game-high 26 factors and added seven rebounds and two assists within the 98-87 defeat to Group USA. After the loss, Wemby was overcome with feelings, bursting into tears earlier than being consoled by his French teammates and North American foes.
For the event, the seven-footer averaged 15.8 factors, 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks and was named as a part of the Paris 2024 All-Star 5 alongside MVP LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Dennis Schroder and Nikola Jokic.
Many analysts reckon the Paris Olympics expertise might have ready Wemby to raise his recreation to a brand new stage as an NBA sophomore.
Whereas he isn’t a betting favourite to succeed in the postseason, he can have much more veteran expertise to depend on in his second season in San Antonio. This offseason, the Spurs added the likes of Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes to the equation, a yr after giving the rookie Wemby an unproven workforce with none gamers boasting playoff expertise.
Throughout his introductory information convention, Paul defined why he and Barnes are excited to play alongside Wemby.
“There is not any participant within the league that everyone talks about extra after the sport,” Paul said. “Me and Harrison had been on our flight speaking about how cool it will be at this level in our careers to get an opportunity to understand him day in and day trip.”
Wembanyama averaged 21.4 factors, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals and a league-high 3.6 blocks as a rookie for the Spurs. He was unanimously named the NBA’s Rookie of the Yr and completed second within the Defensive Participant of the Yr voting behind Rudy Gobert. The Frenchman additionally turned the primary rookie to be named to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Group.
