Just how good will Victor Wembanyama be this season?

By the middle of last season, it was obvious the question was when, not if:

How long before Victor Wembanyama is the best player on the planet?

Five years? Three years? Discussing it with people around the league, there were some who said next year, and while they may have been in the minority they were not laughed out of the room.

He may not be the best player in the league just yet, but what should we expect from Victor Wembanyama in his second season? And just how high should you take him in your fantasy draft?

Recapping Wembanyama’s rookie year

As a refresher, as a 20-year-old rookie, the 7’4″ center out of France averaged 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds a game, shot 32.5% from 3 (on 5.5 attempts a game), yet he was a more impactful force on the defensive end of the court where averaged 3.6 blocked shots a game.

Wembanyama was the unanimous Rookie Of the Year plus finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Then he looked even better during the Paris Olympics.

Wembanyama not only showed growth in his game between the end of the season and the Olympics tipping-off in France, but he also showed improvement and a growing maturity in his game during the Olympics. In the end, he was pushing the greatest players of an American generation (such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant) and it required Stephen Curry taking over late to beat him and the French team.

After earning a silver medal, Wembanyama issued a warning:

“I’m learning, and I’m worried for the opponents in a couple of years.”

Did he mean FIBA opponents or the NBA?

“Everywhere.”

How good will Wembanyama be this season?

We know Wembanyama will bring an improved game to the court this season, but more importantly he will have a little more veteran talent around him to set him up. Last season, the Spurs were the youngest team in the league, and that inexperience showed. This time around, things are different.

Chris Paul — the best floor general point guard of a generation — is now orchestrating the attack, which means Wembanyama will get the ball in better positions to score. Harrison Barnes is a rock-solid, floor-spacing four to go next to Wembanyama. The…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/just-good-victor-wembanyama-season-160332701.html

Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2024-09-27 16:03:32

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