Why Lonzo Ball’s Bold Victor Wembanyama Take Speaks to Spurs Rookie’s Sky-High Potential
“He has a chance to be the best player ever,” Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball said of San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama. “I’ll say that right now, and I’ll stand on ten.”
Since entering the NBA last season, Victor Wembanyama has gotten accustomed to seeing high praise come his way.
It shouldn’t be a surprise, either. By all accounts the 7-foot-4 freak is a generational talent, with all of the potential in the world to be one of the best players in the league for the entirety of his career. Everyone sees it, whether it be fans, players, legends or analysts.
Wembanyama is the future, and we’re witnessing greatness forming in real time.
It’s impressive how the 20-year-old has been able to meet nearly unreachable expectations. His 21.4 point, 10.6 rebound and 3.6 block was ridiculous for a rookie, helping him win the Rookie of the Year award by a significant margin. For all teams but the San Antonio Spurs, the prospect of what he could become in the future is even more daunting if he can accomplish this in just his first NBA season.
The most recent compliment comes from Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, who last week on the WAE Show expressed a lot of strong sentiments.
We’ve never seen a better defensive player than Wemby. One year, he will average five to six blocks every game, and that will be O.D., according to Ball. He could end up being the greatest player of all time. I’ll stand on ten and say that right now. I answered okay when we faced off against Giannis because I hadn’t even paid attention to him.
With just a season under his belt, Ball is already considering Wembanyama to be one of the most talented players to step foot on an NBA court. It’s probably too early to start comparing him to all-time greats, but the signs of him ending up towards the top of that list are very apparent.
Wembanyama’s defensive tools are truly incredible. There’s no player that has the package of height, athleticism and skill that he possesses. Even with a lack of experience against NBA talent, his opponents were already intimated by his presence in the paint. If you don’t believe it, just look at his second place finish in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Now, saying “The Extraterrestrial” could be the best player ever is a whole other ballpark. Reaching the likes of Michael Jordan and LeBron James in terms of production and accolades is an insanely tall task, and an unreachable one for 99% of players that come through the league.
However, Wembanyama might be among that 1 percent.
Although it’s far too early to predict where he will wind up or what San Antonio will achieve in the ensuing decades, there aren’t many reasons not to believe that it could be profitable. There has never been a player exactly like him, and he should have no trouble winning titles if the Spurs assemble a strong team around him.
Ball makes some remarks that at first glance may appear a little absurd, but they aren’t all that implausible.
Time will tell whether or not his and many others’ remarks come to pass.
