The arrival of Victor Wembanyama
In one of my previous articles, I analyzed the play style of Victor Wembanyama in comparison to two of the most vaunted big men not just in the history of the San Antonio Spurs but the entire league, while trying to guess which one he would be more likely to follow in the footsteps of.
Whether he chooses to emulate one or both of San Antonio’s Titans or not, all eyes are on the generational prospect. And if his performance in this year’s summer league is any indication, the landscape of the league is about to shift in a big way.
Like all first picks before him, Victor Wembanyama will come into the league with eyeballs and expectations on him. However, few prospects have ever come into the league with the genuine, feverish fervor that the ‘French Phenom’ has garnered. In my time watching basketball, he is one of a very small number of players who have earned the “generational talent” and “game-changer” labels.
One of them was Zion Williamson. And we’ve all seen how that’s been going.
There’s an old saying that there are few burdens heavier than expectations. Not everyone can shoulder that burden. Sometimes it’s because they are unequipped to carry it. Sometimes they do not want to carry it. Yet the burden is placed on them all the same. When Andrew Wiggins came into the league he was nicknamed “Maple Jordan.”
When Ben Simmons was drafted, many analysts touted him as potentially being the successor to LeBron. Before Zion Williamson had even stepped onto an NBA court, he was being lauded as the next contender in the ‘GOAT debate.’ While these players didn’t live up to their potential, one has to wonder whether being given all those expectations was a matter of “too much, too soon” and whether that played a role in them feeling like even larger disappointments. Over the years we’ve seen star prospects be the victims of career-derailing injuries, fall to the wayside because of subpar performances, or simply because they just weren’t good enough.
I hope this is not the case with Victor, and I am optimistic about his career. At the same time, I am keeping my optimism in check while I, along with the rest of the NBA, wait to see the giant enter his rookie year in the NBA.
From a young star looking to forge a new history, we turn to a franchise looking to make it repeat itself…