How Win Benyama ends the LeBron/Jordan debate

Anyone who follows basketball, regardless of team affinity, can probably debate who the greatest player of all time is. Most of the time, the debate involves a handful of players such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James and the late Kobe Bryant. When the debate becomes clearer, there are a few others (greatest point guard, greatest shooter, etc.), but it’s usually these three who dominate the conversation.

The emergence of a rookie has caused quite a stir around the league recently, especially in San Antonio, and his performance as a young player has done little to quell any of the hype. This player is Victor Wembanyama, a 20-year-old talented player from France who was selected by the San Antonio Spurs as the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft.

Leading up to last year’s draft, many teams seemed to be “tanking,” as the saying goes, in order to get the No. 1 pick on Vembanyama. The Spurs, one of the teams with the worst record in the NBA last season, had a perfect lottery opportunity that gave them the No. 1 pick.

In 61 games this season, Wembanyama is averaging a double-double with 20.7 points and 10.4 rebounds. If that’s not enough, he leads the league in blocks a night with 3.5, while also dishing out 3.5 assists. Wimby racked up all those stat sheets in just 29.1 minutes per game, which was an increase from earlier this season when he was on a minutes restriction. Victor has shown rapid improvement this season; there’s no reason to believe he can’t continue this trajectory throughout his career.

Some of Wembanyama’s outstanding qualities can no longer be quantified through statistics, such as his court vision. He’s averaging 3.5 assists per game, but he can do that as a 7-foot-3 (maybe taller) center. Victor has the ability to look over defenders and has the length to wrap his arms around opponents and deliver pinpoint passes to teammates. Some say his size and ball-handling ability remind them of Magic Johnson. And he’s still six inches taller than Magic.

Wembanyama’s range across the pitch also causes major problems for defenders. At his size, the NBA has never seen a player like him. He’s shooting 32 percent from three-point range, a number that will improve as he learns more about the NBA game. Remember, he’s a rookie from another country who has to adjust to the way the NBA game is played and now life in the United States.

Vunbanyama can catch the ball and create a arc or spot-up shot. His dribbling shooting skills are very advanced. These are typically features reserved for smaller players. There are other players of similar stature and ability, but none quite like Wembunyama. The name Arvydas Sabonis conjures up images of a 7-foot-tall player with long range, but his best days came behind the Iron Curtain. The non-NBA fan didn’t see his full capabilities.

It’s obvious that Bunyama is already a matchup nightmare. He’s taller than everyone else and has ball-handling ability. If he brings the ball down the floor like a point guard typically does, he can see the defense and he can create mismatches that way, which leads to plays like this.

https://twitter.com/8bonz/status/1769541221511201020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

He can play the wing, is taller than every other wing player in the league while creating opportunities off the dribble, and Victor’s pick-and-pop is dangerous enough in three-point range to warrant close coverage. If that doesn’t work, he can play center, which is what he does most nights, and isolate other teams in one-on-one situations. He has great speed and can create slides in the defense which will open up space for other Spurs teams.

Defense may be where Vunbanyama has had the biggest impact. As a rookie, he’s already averaging 3.5 more blocks per game than the next best player in that category, with Walker Kessler averaging 2.5 blocks per game. This is an astonishing number. The league leader hasn’t averaged 3.5 blocks per game since 2015-2016 (Hassan Whiteside). Wembanyama was only using his natural abilities at this time. He didn’t fully understand NBA timing, and it took years of working in the league to appreciate the different nuances. That number will be higher as he gains more understanding and experience in the league.

Victor is already a demon on the defensive end. Opposing teams feared him and game-planned for his presence. His long limbs allow him to be “out of position” but still be able to change shots or block shots. Over the past 15 games, the Spurs have ranked first in defensive efficiency when Wenby is on the court and 25th in defensive efficiency when Wenby is off the court.

Another aspect that helps Wembunyama is the public relations machine the NBA has become. The league is looking to expand the game’s reach and has done a great job at that task so far. The NBA sees Bunyama as their next international star. His ability to speak multiple languages ​​makes him a prime candidate to be the ambassador to continue the global takeover. As a result, he will be in the public eye more than a “normal” Spur.

Another intangible quality of Wembanyama that will earn the respect of more fans than just Spurs is his desire to compete and win. The greatest of all time, Michael Jordan, shared Winby’s desire to compete and a winning mentality. LeBron James, a “GOAT” himself, has the same desire. But the ladder also ushered in the era of super teams and became friendly with many players across the league.

The same competitive passion that Jordan brought to the league has been lost in the LeBron era. Wembanyama will bring it back and then some. Victor hasn’t arrived yet. He was not part of the conversation; he was not investing enough time. In fact, he is only 20 years old and has only played 61 NBA games. Therefore, he cannot be included in the conversation, but by the same token, he is a future conversation partner.

Victor Wembanyama, like Steph Curry, Michael Jordan or LeBron James before him, will change the way the NBA game is played. This may happen quickly. Wembunyama is an anomaly, something the NBA has never seen before. On one hand, Spurs are more than happy to have him donning silver and black now and for the foreseeable future.