NBA (DR) / TNT (DR)

Since the start of the season, Victor Wembanyama has broken numerous records and climbed to the top of a multitude of rankings.

However, it is difficult to say whether he can be happy with the one in which he has just been inserted by HoopsHype .

Despite the pressure that accompanied the expectations he had to meet, Victor Wembanyama had a sensational first NBA season.

Better yet, the one who is announced by many as the future face of the league seems to have already folded the race for the title of Rookie of the Year 

. But if he was able to shine through his individual performances, these did not allow the Spurs to shine collectively.

On the contrary, the Texans still find themselves last in the West with a record of only 19 victories and 58 defeats despite the arrival of the 1st pick of the 2023 Draft.

The latter may indeed be considered a potential generational player, this statistic somewhat tarnishes his efforts.

Therefore, it may seem difficult for some to describe the Frenchman’s debut as “perfect”.

The historical paradox of Wembanyama at Spurs

In great personal success, Wembanyama can deplore the pitiful results of San Antonio.

However, don’t believe that he is the first player to experience such a situation. Indeed, HoopsHype recently identified similar cases in the history of the NBA and established a list entitled “The best players in history who played for very, very bad teams”

Thus appear the names of Kevin Love, player of the Timberwolves (17-65) during the 2010-11 season, Dwyane Wade, member of the Heat (15-67) in 2007-08, or even Devin Booker, star of the Suns (19 -63) in 2018-19.

Wemby therefore inherits a place in this strange casting which he doesn’t really have anything to rejoice about, even if its author, Frank Urbina, affirms that this is intended to be relatively flattering for him:

The very likely Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, first choice in the last Draft, also has a minimal chance of being part of the All-NBA team at the end of the season.

This possibility would be more certain if the San Antonio Spurs’ record wasn’t 19-58 right now.

Regardless, he should also be considered a potential Defender of the Year thanks to his 3.5 blocks per game. (…)

The fact that the Spurs are as bad as they are this season has no negative impact on Wembanyama, since he is just a 20 year old rookie playing on a very young and rebuilding team.

for some time now. His inclusion in this list should therefore be seen as praise for this big man with great dribbling and shooting skills, and not as any criticism.

Even if the fantastic season produced by Victor Wembanyama does not necessarily translate into the Spurs’ record, it earns him to see his name appear alongside those of Devin Booker and Dwyane Wade. Not sure, however, that he will be satisfied with it.