Surrounded by immense expectations before his arrival in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama has managed to surpass them quite madly since the start of the season.
Enough to leave prestigious observers in the dark regarding the correct way to analyze it.
From an overall point of view, it seems more common to see first picks disappoint rather than the opposite.
The hype that surrounds them can in fact prove to be double-edged and lead to greater demands from fans, which are necessarily difficult to achieve.
However, it happens that some of these talented players prove to be entirely worthy of the enormous enthusiasm they generate, like Victor Wembanyama.
Bill Simmons unseated by Victor Wembanyama
Considered by many as the most promising prospect since LeBron James, Wembanyama knew he was doomed to shine for his rookie season in order not to disappoint the NBA community.
It is clear that he succeeds brilliantly, as evidenced by his recent historic performance of 40 points and 20 rebounds against the Knicks.
A performance which did not leave a certain Bill Simmons indifferent:
Wemby!!!!
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) March 30, 2024
Obviously already stunned by the prowess of the young French interior, the famous journalist from The Ringer was able to discuss them at greater length in the last episode of his podcas
t. The opportunity for him to imagine what his averages could look like in a few years:
Generally, there is a 25% to 40% improvement between a rookie’s stats and those of the same player at his prime.
All this would mean that based on his current season, he will end up averaging 28 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks per game.
I don’t even know what his damn ceiling is! All I know is that I’ve never seen anything close to this guy before.
Simmons goes even further and reveals the grandeur of his hopes for Wemby:
In my opinion, the notion of a ceiling no longer exists for him.
I don’t know what to expect but if you tell me he’s going to become the best center since Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), I would be more inclined to believe you than the other way around.
So, that’s the main thing I learned this season about him: he’s an even better prospect than his hype might suggest.
An attentive spectator of Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season, Bill Simmons struggles to assess the potential of the French prodigy.
Failing to succeed, he seems content to savor his prowess and is undoubtedly not at the end of his surprises.