It’s not Victor Wembanyama’s potential that most impresses Boston Celtics reporter Steve Bulpett any longer after the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 draft dropped 38 points in 34 minutes of floor time on a 57/50/83 shooting slash on 26 attempts from the floor and six free throws against the Phoenix Suns from the Footprint Center.
Instead, it’s Wemby’s maturity from the Summer League that has impressed the Heavy reporter the most through the first five games of the 2023-24 regular season; helping lead the San Antonio Spurs to a winning record with two wins — while averaging over 20 points, eight assists, and two blocks — over the Suns and another over the rival Houston Rockets.
“Seeing Victor Wembanyama during and after games at summer league in Vegas, I was most impressed with his maturity,” Bulpett prefaced before saying, “Now it’s his game. (38 & 10 v PHX? Whoa.) Overall, (the Spurs) are proving an old NBA adage w/their early success: If you play hard and unselfishly, good shit happens.”
We’ve come a long way since another reporter on the Celtics beat, The Athletic’s Jay King, called Wembanyama a “malnourished version” of Andre Drummond after the French wunderkind missed five free throws in a five-point loss.
“Yes, Victor Wembanyama had a much better game today,” King prefaced before saying, “He still missed five free throws in a game his team lost by, you guessed it, five points. He’s been advertised as the best prospect of a generation but all I see is malnourished Andre Drummond.”
Good luck finding someone willing to share a similar opinion right now.
Wembanyama is no project; possessing the physical attributes to change games now. The only thing he needs is consistency with his shot, particularly from beyond the arc.
Once he achieves that, there’s a case that Wembanyama may have the most unguardable skillset in the league. He’s already in the conversation given his court awareness, other-worldly athleticism, and eight-foot wingspan.
Leave a Reply