If you want to see the one play that should strike fear into the hearts of 29 teams around the NBA, it’s not Victor Wembanyama getting a block, picking up the ball and driving coast-to-coast for the layup against the Pacers Monday — although that was impressive — but it was this simple play on a missed free throw by Harrison Barnes.
That is 7'1, 240-pound solid NBA center Jay Huff that Wembanyama just discards to get the tip-in bucket.
Wembanyama put up 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, with 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals in 25 minutes of action (and San Antonio won at Indiana, 124-108, if one cares about such things in the preseason).
“I just don’t ever recall someone who has so much influence on both ends of the floor,” Pacers coach and NBA lifer Rick Carlisle said postgame. That is a heck of a compliment.
Wembanyama has played in all four Spurs preseason games, coming off the blood clots in his shoulder that ended last season early for him. He was already an All-Star if not an All-NBA level player, and he looks ready to make another leap this season.
Also of note, Spurs No. 2 pick Dylan Harper has looked legit this preseason, and he had 11 points and eight assists coming off the bench. For Indiana, Bennedict Mathurin had 27 points in the first half on 9-of-9 shooting (4-of-4 from 3) on his way to a game-high 31 points. A lot more is going to be asked of him this season with Tyrese Haliburton out, and this was a promising sign.
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