Victor Wembanyama joins the 1,000-point club

On Thursday night, Wemby scored his 1000th NBA point in Dallas. 

As we approach the all-star weekend in Indiana, Spurs’ rookie Victor Wembanyama delivered yet another impressive performance on Thursday night. Scoring a team-high 26 points on 10/21 shooting from the field, Wembanyama’s stellar performance has elevated him into the 1,000-point club, joining the ranks of other impressive rookies. Over the past 15 years, only Zion Williamson, Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, and Blake Griffin have achieved this milestone.

Entering the NBA, there were doubts about the polish in Wemby’s offensive game, and understandably so. His scoring efficiency in the first two months left much to be desired, but he has shown significant improvement since then.

During this period of growth, Wembanyama’s mechanics have notably improved, earning him praise from Coach Popovic after his recent standout performance. The 20-year-old is now making shots that seemed challenging earlier in the season. A clear evolution is evident when comparing the rookie’s shooting in his first ten games to his current form.

Wembanyama’s progress has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention and excitement of various NBA media members. Many share the enthusiasm expressed by Kevin O’Connor during the previous season.

Even Luka Doncic, renowned for his elite scoring and playmaking abilities, approached Wemby with caution on the fast break. Despite attempting an alley-oop as far away as possible from the Frenchman, it was still swatted away.

The question arises: should the rookie be included in the elite list? While the league boasts deep talent, there’s a compelling case for Victor being among the top 35 players.

This sentiment is not isolated, as evidenced by Kevin O’Connor’s concurrence.

Kyrie Irving, recognized as one of the best finishers around the rim for his position and size, shared his experience in facing Victor. Maneuvering around the 7’4” rookie proved to be a challenging art.