The San Antonio Spurs may be the worst team in the Western Conference, as they cashed in another loss, 117-106, on Friday night in the tough matchup against the defending champion Denver Nuggets, but the future remains bright for one of the league’s most storied franchises, thanks largely to the presence of Victor Wembanyama, who is playing Tim Duncan.
Wembanyama still has a long way to go before he reaches his full potential, but what he is now is an enticing player because of his incredible ability to rack up defensive statistics.
Against the Nuggets, in the toughest matchup imaginable against Nikola Jokic, Wembanyama netted 3 more stoppages, bringing his total for the season to exactly 200. As a result, Wembanyama is reaching rookie defensive levels that only 9 other players in NBA history have achieved. And as fate would have it, the most recent player to reach the same level was a member of the Spurs during his Hall of Fame career.
According to NBA on ESPN, Victor Wembanyama is the first player since Tim Duncan to record 200 or more stoppages in his rookie season. The Frenchman, despite his young age, overpowers opponents; in 59 games played this season, Wembanyama has averaged 3.4 stoppages and it is scary to think how much more impactful he would be with a few more years of NBA experience.
Wemby is the first rookie with 200 blocks in a season since Tim Duncan in 1997-98 👏 pic.twitter.com/xbEhpRmmR7
– NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 16, 2024
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