how Victor Wembanyama shifted up a gear

The Frenchman scored 50 points for the Spurs last night, confirming his rise to prominence over the last three games after a complicated start to the season.

After a very good rookie season, the public expects more from him. Victor Wembanyama is one of the best players in the NBA and it’s hard to deny it, even more so today. Last season’s rookie and Olympic runner-up with Les Bleus in Paris, Wemby has put on weight this summer, both literally and figuratively. Perhaps this explains his lacklustre first few matches.

The 20-year-old pivot has put on 11kg since his arrival in the NBA. A logical weight gain for a player of his size (2.21m) who has to contend with behemoths in his position at every match. Now weighing in at 105kg, the French prodigy is less likely to be pushed around on the ground and in the air by his opponents. But his first matches of the 2024-2025 opus did not reflect the Wembanyama everyone expects. With his shooting success at half-mast and a game against OKC with his lowest career total (6 points), the pivot still didn’t look 100%.

Victor Wembanyama, the diesel

After two complicated games, the Spurs’ number 1 had a great reaction of pride against the Jazz in Game 3 (25pts, 9 rbs, 7pds, 5 blq, 5 int). He then had to rediscover his consistency, particularly in terms of shooting. With almost every other game at 20 points and his stats on the rise, the 2023 draft pick’s rise to prominence is clearly evident. It took another game against the Utah Jazz for Victor Wembanyama to turn the corner at the start of the season.

Since November 9, and now in three games, the French pivot hasn’t fallen below the 50% mark for shooting, but also for three-pointers. A statistic that clearly demonstrates Wembanyama’s awakening, author of a career-high 50 points and eight successful jump shots against Washington.and, more generally, that of the Spurs. “Our first few matches felt like a training camp. The aim is to win while growing at the same time.” assumed Chris Paul, who arrived this summer, in front of the press on Monday. In tenth place in the Western Conference (6v, 6d), the Spurs are aiming for at least a third place finish. play-in at the end of the season and if Wemby extends the performances of the last three games, it will be hard not to consider the Texas franchise a serious contender for the play-offs.

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