The young Spurs with the 2 game sweep of the Suns in Phoenix!

Glad I made a bet on the Spurs to make the Playoffs this year before the season started, looking pretty good right now.

I can't believe how good this kid is already. He's not only highly skilled. But he's well versed is basic quality basketball concepts. Unselfish and hyper competitive. I dont see how I could stomach missing game. It's pure joy for a true basketball fan.

100%. One of the best early-season crowds I can remember. https://t.co/nJtIjh8eHz

— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) November 3, 2023

Watching the game I thought it sounded like a good crowd. When is the last time the Spurs played in a road environment like that?

Enzo The Baker said:

---

Has a rookie ever had this run of clutch games? Unbelievable.

---

I'm not sure prime Jordan or Bird turned it on quite like Wemby seems to on a nightly basis

Pop said Vassell will get an MRI tomorrow and that he expects him to be out for a while.

Vassell left the game late in the first half with a left groin tightness.

— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) November 3, 2023

THE_CHOSEN_ONE said:

---

Glad I made a bet on the Spurs to make the Playoffs this year before the season started, looking pretty good right now.

---

I got:
Spurs make the playoffs (+900)
Spurs over 32 wins (+140)
Wemby lead league in blocks per game (+220)
Wemby ROY (even)

Zach Collins had 19 points and made 3s. Tre with 12 points and 10 assists. Spread the wealth.

Forgot to mention Sochan with 14 points and 9 assists.

This year my expectations were for the Spurs to lose a lot of games but be exciting and look for the team to improve as the year went on. Also wanted to see Victor show some signs if what the future could be with many growing pains.

Here we are 5 games in and Victor looks like the best player on the court and the Spurs look like they can challenge for the playoffs.

Now I am trying to stay in reality but the team and Victor have already exceeded my expectations. This is going to be a fun year.

My expectations for this year was the Spurs would go around .500 something like 44-38, now I think they have a chance to make the playoffs.

It's crazy what one guy can go do a team. Losing Vassell hurts though, hopefully he can make a quick recovery

Is the NBA easier than the euro ball? Sure seems like it

West Texan said:

---

Victor Wembanyama is the first player to have 85+ points, 35+ rebounds and 10+ blocks in his first 5 career games since Shaq in 1992.

— Jordan Howenstine (@AirlessJordan) November 3, 2023

Now 8 players in NBA history to total 85+ points, 35+ rebounds and 10+ blocks in their first 5 career games:

Victor Wembanyama
Shaquille O’Neal
Alonzo Mourning
Dikembe Mutombo
David Robinson
Hakeem Olajuwon
Ralph Sampson
Mychal Thompson

— Jordan Howenstine (@AirlessJordan) November 3, 2023

---

Shaq played 3 years in college and was 4 months from turning 21 years old. Victor turns 20 in January.

Injuries are the only thing that can block this upward trajectory. I also think bigger more physical teams will give Vic more problems. The Suns are pretty small overall. Luckily there aren't many really big teams in the league right now.

If people only knew that he’s not supposed to be looking that fluid at that height. https://t.co/m7hlTId9ys

— Channing Frye (@channingfrye) November 3, 2023

Ag Natural said:

---

Injuries are the only thing that can block this upward trajectory. I also think bigger more physical teams will give Vic more problems. The Suns are pretty small overall. Luckily there aren't many really big teams in the league right now.

---

Garnett, Pierce, Barkley, and Shaq have all talked about how teams just won't get away with shoving Wemby around and being overly physical like they would 20 or 30 years ago.

Just going through the west:

- Mavs - Lively. He's gonna be solid, but not sure yet if he will be super physical down low. Also Grant Williams is physical, but a full foot shorter than Wemby.
- GSW - Looney and Draymond, but Draymond is getting really old and GSW as a whole is clearly making one last hurrah this year.
- Nuggets - Joker is the best player in the NBA and he's huge. But I think they put MPJ and Gordon on Wemby more. They have the size and strength to destroy us like they are destroying everyone else.
- Pellies - Zion and Jonas (final year on contract) are big, but Herbert Jones would be the one guarding Wemby. I like a lot of their team, but as long as Zion doesn't care about basketball, his weight or staying healthy, I am not worried here.
- OKC - they have Chet, but he's Wemby's *****. More worried about SGA, Wallace, and Giddey than their bigs. Going to be a great rivalry, but we need to get someone at point to go up against them.
- Lakers - Anthony Davis will be a menace for Wemby - if he guards Wemby. LeBron can opt out. Rui is playing under 15mpg. Lakers will always be able to reload, but with Davis injury history and LBJ possibly leaving to play with Bronny, who knows what happens after this year. Also, Reaves is shooting 34%/21% this year
- Clippers - Zubac is a good rim protector and rebounder, but he can't leave the paint. They would likely put Kawhi on Wemby, assuming Kawhi is healthy, which is a big assumption. I think this team falls apart now that Captain "I am the system" is there.
- TPup - KAT doesn't play defense and Gobert is exposed if he s anywhere but at the rim. Teams hunt Gobert and Wemby was smoking him at 16yo.
- Kings - Sabonis is not a good defender. So Harrison Barnes? Keegan Murray?
- Suns - small ball team like OKC. Nurkic is their top rebounder and Devin Booker is #2.
- Grizzlies - Steven Adams is out for the year and I think Brandon Clarke is as well. Some guy named Xavier Tillman is starting center. JJJ will give Wemby some problems, but right now, this isn't a team to worry about. Can reevaluate after they get back Ja Morant and Adams.

superunknown said:

---

If people only knew that he’s not supposed to be looking that fluid at that height. https://t.co/m7hlTId9ys

— Channing Frye (@channingfrye) November 3, 2023

---

Reply to the original tweet was great, too:

I know this is obvious to a lot of you, but if you have ever seen Steph Curry’s Masterclass, this hits on all his key dribbling points.

1. Behind-the-back is not really behind the back. It is really behind the knees and under the butt.
2. To create more space behind the knees,…

— Cork Gaines, Ph.D. (@CorkGaines) November 3, 2023

Guitarsoup said:

---

Ag Natural said:

---

Injuries are the only thing that can block this upward trajectory. I also think bigger more physical teams will give Vic more problems. The Suns are pretty small overall. Luckily there aren't many really big teams in the league right now.

---

Garnett, Pierce, Barkley, and Shaq have all talked about how teams just won't get away with shoving Wemby around and being overly physical like they would 20 or 30 years ago.

Just going through the west:

- Mavs - Lively. He's gonna be solid, but not sure yet if he will be super physical down low. Also Grant Williams is physical, but a full foot shorter than Wemby.
- GSW - Looney and Draymond, but Draymond is getting really old and GSW as a whole is clearly making one last hurrah this year.
- Nuggets - Joker is the best player in the NBA and he's huge. But I think they put MPJ and Gordon on Wemby more. They have the size and strength to destroy us like they are destroying everyone else.
- Pellies - Zion and Jonas (final year on contract) are big, but Herbert Jones would be the one guarding Wemby. I like a lot of their team, but as long as Zion doesn't care about basketball, his weight or staying healthy, I am not worried here.
- OKC - they have Chet, but he's Wemby's *****. More worried about SGA, Wallace, and Giddey than their bigs. Going to be a great rivalry, but we need to get someone at point to go up against them.
- Lakers - Anthony Davis will be a menace for Wemby - if he guards Wemby. LeBron can opt out. Rui is playing under 15mpg. Lakers will always be able to reload, but with Davis injury history and LBJ possibly leaving to play with Bronny, who knows what happens after this year. Also, Reaves is shooting 34%/21% this year
- Clippers - Zubac is a good rim protector and rebounder, but he can't leave the paint. They would likely put Kawhi on Wemby, assuming Kawhi is healthy, which is a big assumption. I think this team falls apart now that Captain "I am the system" is there.
- TPup - KAT doesn't play defense and Gobert is exposed if he s anywhere but at the rim. Teams hunt Gobert and Wemby was smoking him at 16yo.
- Kings - Sabonis is not a good defender. So Harrison Barnes? Keegan Murray?
- Suns - small ball team like OKC. Nurkic is their top rebounder and Devin Booker is #2.
- Grizzlies - Steven Adams is out for the year and I think Brandon Clarke is as well. Some guy named Xavier Tillman is starting center. JJJ will give Wemby some problems, but right now, this isn't a team to worry about. Can reevaluate after they get back Ja Morant and Adams.

---

The thing is that he doesn't spend much time around the basket to get bodied up. He is just as elite 25ft from the rim where you can't really be physical.

Average Joe said:

---

Guitarsoup said:

---

Ag Natural said:

---

Injuries are the only thing that can block this upward trajectory. I also think bigger more physical teams will give Vic more problems. The Suns are pretty small overall. Luckily there aren't many really big teams in the league right now.

---

Garnett, Pierce, Barkley, and Shaq have all talked about how teams just won't get away with shoving Wemby around and being overly physical like they would 20 or 30 years ago.

Just going through the west:

- Mavs - Lively. He's gonna be solid, but not sure yet if he will be super physical down low. Also Grant Williams is physical, but a full foot shorter than Wemby.
- GSW - Looney and Draymond, but Draymond is getting really old and GSW as a whole is clearly making one last hurrah this year.
- Nuggets - Joker is the best player in the NBA and he's huge. But I think they put MPJ and Gordon on Wemby more. They have the size and strength to destroy us like they are destroying everyone else.
- Pellies - Zion and Jonas (final year on contract) are big, but Herbert Jones would be the one guarding Wemby. I like a lot of their team, but as long as Zion doesn't care about basketball, his weight or staying healthy, I am not worried here.
- OKC - they have Chet, but he's Wemby's *****. More worried about SGA, Wallace, and Giddey than their bigs. Going to be a great rivalry, but we need to get someone at point to go up against them.
- Lakers - Anthony Davis will be a menace for Wemby - if he guards Wemby. LeBron can opt out. Rui is playing under 15mpg. Lakers will always be able to reload, but with Davis injury history and LBJ possibly leaving to play with Bronny, who knows what happens after this year. Also, Reaves is shooting 34%/21% this year
- Clippers - Zubac is a good rim protector and rebounder, but he can't leave the paint. They would likely put Kawhi on Wemby, assuming Kawhi is healthy, which is a big assumption. I think this team falls apart now that Captain "I am the system" is there.
- TPup - KAT doesn't play defense and Gobert is exposed if he s anywhere but at the rim. Teams hunt Gobert and Wemby was smoking him at 16yo.
- Kings - Sabonis is not a good defender. So Harrison Barnes? Keegan Murray?
- Suns - small ball team like OKC. Nurkic is their top rebounder and Devin Booker is #2.
- Grizzlies - Steven Adams is out for the year and I think Brandon Clarke is as well. Some guy named Xavier Tillman is starting center. JJJ will give Wemby some problems, but right now, this isn't a team to worry about. Can reevaluate after they get back Ja Morant and Adams.

---

The thing is that he doesn't spend much time around the basket to get bodied up. He is just as elite 25ft from the rim where you can't really be physical.

---

I don't think we are going to see him post up down low, but I think we are going to see him cut to the basket for alleyoops and tip ins and stuff. That's what was so devestating to Phoenix.

You are right, he is so great from 16-25 feet that teams are naturally going to put someone like Kawhi on him, but then we take Zach Collins out of the paint to the top of the arc (his preferred 3pt shot) and their post has to follow, at least to the FT line. Then Wemby can cut in and you have a 6'4-6'8 perimeter defender trying to keep Wemby from getting a jump ball that Wemby can catch at 11'.

A guy like Gobert just won't go out of the paint. But I think teams are really going to struggle with that jump ball thing. Teams didn't really have an answer for DeAndre Jordan except fouling, but Wemby is a 70% FT shoot that will probably be in the 80s as he settles down.

It's gonna be crazy times.

Hollinger on Wemby's breakout game:

https://theathletic.com/5027609/2023/11/03/victor-wembanyama-breakout-spurs-suns-analysis/

PHOENIX There's a special feeling when you're in the building for that, "Holy s!" moment, that rare, special game in which a young prodigy establishes that he's ready to take his place as one of the game's next big stars.

While it didn't take a rocket scientist, or even a Rocket, to determine that Victor Wembanyama was likely on that trajectory, Thursday was that day for him.

If you missed it, the San Antonio Spurs' 7-foot-4 French phenom took over crunchtime in just his fifth NBA game, scoring 10 points in a pivotal 12-0 run to break open a tied game late in the fourth quarter, as San Antonio swept a two-game series in Phoenix with a 132-121 win over the Suns on Thursday.


----------
this was something totally different, a performance that served notice to everyone that,
A) his ceiling could be even higher than we thought, and
B) his learning curve to reach that point might be a lot quicker and steeper than we expected.

-----

What had me marveling over that play in particular (see clip below) was the same thing I saw when watching Wembanyama's pregame shooting drills with a few scouts: how much Wembanyama's balance has improved on his jump shot.

----------

There are the Inspector Gadget left-handed dunks, the plays where he makes other giant men look Lilliputian by reaching rebounds over his head (including one where he made the 6-10 Durant seem like Muggsy Bogues, reaching fruitlessly for the ball while Wemby plucked it), the crossover dribbles and pull-up 3s that he nonchalantly pulls off as if every 7-4 player has this in their bag.

"He's an unbelievable talent. Everybody knows that," Booker said. "Just trying to figure out what he is, because we've never seen him before."

----------

"He's a multifaceted player," Popovich said, "and he'll pass it to the open guy. But he's got confidence in himself, and he made some plays what were unbelievable. That combination is pretty good, if you have that skill and you're still willing to pass."


---------

His Spurs teammates are still learning how much of a weapon he can be, seemingly just beginning to understand that any ball thrown in the general direction of the rim and roughly 10 feet high is highly likely to end in an assist. Already this season, he's redirected several horrid lob pass attempts into the basket, including at least two Thursday.

[Exactly what we were saying in here. Hollinger reads Texags.]
-----------


the wonder of Wemby is likely to be the league's nightly attraction for the foreseeable future. Already, he might be too good to guarantee the Spurs another high lottery pick for their rebuilding effort; nobody will sob for them, with every key player 26 or younger and the Spurs looking at max cap space in the summer of 2025, but it's still amazing that he has us rethinking the team's timeline five games in the season.

Guitarsoup said:

---

Who in the league is going to be able to get up above the square regularly to stop these lobs?

---

Last night was the best we did at noticing him in the paint. And we still missed him a BUNCH.

Bronny on his dad's shoulders