The Golden State Warriors were introduced to the NBA's next sensation on Friday night. Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs came to the Bay Area for a preseason friendly. The game started in comically absurd fashion — with Wembanyama and Stephen Curry, more than a full foot shorter, vying for the opening tip.
From there it was all Wemby, all the time. At least in the 20 minutes and 35 seconds he was on the floor.
The No. 1 overall pick finished the night with 19 points, four rebounds, and five blocks. He was dominant on defense and show-stopping on offense. It's only preseason, but it's difficult to not get one's expectations raised significantly.
The highlight reel was, shall we say, extensive. On both ends of the floor. Wembanyama's never-before-seen blend of length, mobility, and coordination were on full display. Safe to say the NBA Twittersphere was enjoying the moment.
NBA Twitter freaks out over Victor Wembanyama's nutty preseason performance
Wembanyama hit a contested pull-up jumper, got an and-one falling away behind the backboard, blocked a Klay Thompson 3-point attempt, dunked it with Stephen Curry flying by in transition, blocked Andrew Wiggins in extremely demeaning fashion, and splashed a transition 3...
... all within 90 seconds.
Patently absurd. Truly never-before-seen stuff from Wembanyama, who looks like a complete black hole on defense and a ready-made No. 1 option on offense. His jumpers are falling, he's handling the physicality of NBA defense well, and the Spurs' defense is going to take a significant step forward with Wemby blanketing the paint.
I mean, it's not often that Klay Thompson — he of the most concise, picturesque 3-point mechanics in human history — gets his jumper blocked. Especially not when the defender is essentially taking off from the restricted area.
Like... what?
It's only the preseason. Wembanyama isn't facing the full force of the opposing scouting report yet. Draymond Green wasn't on the court to rile him up. Those are notable contributing factors here. But, the vast majority of what we saw from the Frenchman will translate. The feather-soft touch, the coordination in traffic, the sheer absurdity of his length plus lateral quickness. That won't go away when the games count.
It's too early to proclaim the Spurs as contenders, especially in the loaded Western Conference. But, with Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and the entire roster trending upward, combined with Wembanyama's imminent stardom, it might not take long for San Antonio to start winning games. And a lot of them.
Wembymania couldn't even wait for opening night. It's the preseason and he has converted all skeptics. He was the No. 1 pick for a reason. The league is about to find out why.
