2023-24 Spurs Player Reviews: Victor Wembanyama

Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

The first-overall-pick had a legendary season and established himself as the franchise’s cornerstone.

Welcome to Pounding the Rock’s 2023-24 player reviews! The series will look at the 15 players who finished the season with the San Antonio Spurs on guaranteed contracts (so no two-way players because we saw so little of them this year, and no Doug McDermott). Enjoy!

Victor Wembanyama

2023-24 stats: 71 games, 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks 46.5 FG%

Contract Status: 3 years, $43 million remaining

Age: 20

What more can be said about Victor Wembanyama In his first NBA season, the first-overall-pick established himself as a superstar. Here are just a few accomplishments from Wembanyama’s rookie season:

Unanimous Rookie of The Year (seventh player to ever do that)
All-Defensive First Team (first rookie to ever make the team, also finished second for defensive player of the year)
Youngest player to record a 5×5 game
10th player in NBA history to average 20 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks
4th player to record 1,500 points, 250 assists and 250 blocks

Wembanyama’s first year was historic, and immediately puts him in the conversation with Tim Duncan and David Robinson as the best San Antonio Spurs rookie of all time. He lived up to the hype and then some. Not only did he dominate on the court, but he was active in the community off it. There was no controversy or drama with Wemby. Just hoops and the occasional nerdy quote about science-fiction. In just one season he completely won over this fan base and has so many excited for the future.

What should scare the rest of the NBA is he only got better as the season went on. Once he moved to center full-time, it opened up so much of his offensive game. He was able to play more in the pick and roll, and operate as an offensive hub at the top of the key and in the low block. He has legitimate upside as a passing big man, even showing the ability to handle the ball in the pick and roll. He can space the floor, take players off the dribble and score on the low block. Defensively, he can switch onto quicker ball-handlers and is one of, if not the best rim protector in the league. The sky is the limit for Wembanyama.

Looking Ahead

Wembanyama will look to continue to build his legacy this summer in the Paris olympics. An olympic medal would be the cherry on top of an elite rookie season. France should have a real opportunity to do so with one of the better rosters in the field.

Rumors are that Wembanyama is already doing two-a-day workouts in San Antonio in preparation for next season. It’s clear he has a good work ethic, which should bode well for him improving into a player that can lead the Spurs back to the playoffs.

He has plenty to work on. Wembanyama was on a minutes restriction for most of the season, but still looked tired late in games. He may never be jacked, but getting stronger and being in peak physical shape will help him handle the heavy minutes the Spurs will need him to play. He was a bit turnover prone in his rookie season, averaging 3.7 giveaways a game. Tightening his handle and cutting down on sloppy passes should help that number go down. Wembanyama shot just 32.5% from deep this season, but led the NBA in step-back three-point shooting (46.2%). He clearly has touch, but just needs to hone in his catch and shoot stroke.

We likely just witnessed the worst season Wembanyama will have in the NBA. That’s a tantalizing thought for Spurs fans. As he improves and the front office continues to build a winning roster around him, we could be looking at a multiple-time MVP. The expectations on Wembanyama next year will be to win games. Another 20 win season won’t fly. Luckily for the Spurs, if you were to bet on any young player in the NBA to impact winning, it would be Wembanyama.