Victor Wembanyama just put up 31 points, 14 rebounds, and six blocks. His stat lines in every game have been ridiculous so far this season, and because of that, he makes history as the only player to ever record 100 points and over 15 blocks (18) in the first three games of a season. San Antonio's franchise player is playing out of his mind, and yet, his performance wasn't the only story today.
Dylan Harper was a star when the Spurs needed it
Vic shares the spotlight with Dylan Harper in a big home win for the Silver and Black. It wasn't just that the third-overall pick had 20 points, six rebounds, and eight assists; it was how he played down the stretch. The Nets made a massive push after the Spurs let their foot off the gas. That game shouldn't have been close in the fourth quarter, but they're still a young team, and they made a mistake.
They didn't let it cost them the game, though, and D. Harp is a big reason for that. He went 3/3, scoring seven of his 20 points in the last quarter of the game. It was his first home game in the NBA, and he stepped up on both sides of the floor, showing a maturity that he shouldn't have at 19 years old. That kind of display will earn Mitch Johnson's trust for extra minutes when the playoffs roll around.
Victor Wembanyama has cracked the superstar code
First of all, let's acknowledge something about Vic: he has more blocks than 27 of the league's 30 teams. His rim protection is just insane, showing a pride in defense that's so unbelievably rare. He and Coach Johnson have gotten the entire team to buy in, and it will lead them to a deep playoff run.
He's had championship-level defense since he first stepped into the league. Something was missing from his offense, but that's normal. He wasn't supposed to have the strength of a grown man at 19 years old, nor was he supposed to have the NBA figured out. In his third season, he's added the necessary strength to impose his will more often, and he understands what teams want to do to him.
Nobody seems to truly know how tall the Alien is, but we know that he's taller than everyone else. A large part of a defense's strategy has to be the hope that Vic just misses, but the other part is doing whatever you can to make him uncomfortable. That means getting physical with him. But Wemby has been using that against teams, drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line.
Through three games, the third-year phenom is averaging 10 free-throw attempts per game. He was only taking four a night last season. The added efficiency and trips to the charity stripe have brought his scoring average up to 33 points per game. He didn't even shoot the ball that well overall (43%), but he was 50% from three and made seven free throws. This is a recipe for an MVP season. The first of many.