Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images
Stats: 25.1 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 4.0 bpg, 47.9 FG%
Salary: $12,768,664 (129th overall)
If seeing Doncic top this list got old after a while, get ready, because it’s very (very) likely former No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama will be holding onto this spot until he turns 25 himself. (Wembanyama just turned 21, by the way.)
What can be said about the French star that hasn’t been said already? He’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, a 7-foot-3 player with guard-like ball-handling and shooting skills, even off the dribble, who should go down one day as one of the best defenders ever thanks to his ridiculous size, length, quickness and timing.
On offense, he looks like a modern-day Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, an otherworldly prospect who came up in today’s game, meaning he trained crossovers and shooting off-the-dribble threes when he was a kid, not hook shots or post-up moves, and was able to maintain that skill even as he blew up to his current size.
Here’s what another freakish talent, two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, recently had to say about Wembanyama (via EuroHoops):
“He’s an incredible talent,” added Giannis, “He’s probably one of the most talented players I’ve ever watched on TV, ever played against. This is his second year in the league, he’s way better than his first year. He’s gonna keep on improving and he has a very, very bright future. He’s just gotta keep working on his game, keep working on himself, keep playing the game with joy and he’s gonna be the face of the league for a lot of years.”
And that praise might be selling him short. Wembanyama already became the first rookie ever to earn 1st Team All-Defense honors last year, and this season, his offensive game has started to blossom to very impressive levels. Even more promising, he really cares about – and impacts – winning, as he showed when he led France to the gold medal game at last summer’s Olympics.
The sky is truly the limit for the young San Antonio Spurs star.
For the latest Victor Wembanyama rumors and news, click here.
