He played barely 20 minutes. But he still left his mark. With 26 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocks, Victor Wembanyama showed off his range to allow San Antonio to crush Charlotte (135-99) at home this Friday. The Spurs have a second victory in a row to raise their heads a little and gain confidence. “We were solid on both ends of the pitch this evening (…). They start to understand how to play with each other“, appreciated Gregg Popovich, the legendary coach of the Texans.
If there is improvement from a collective point of view in Texas, Wembanyama is obviously no stranger to it. His more regular presence at the pivot position seems to have changed the situation in recent matches. “Playing at position 5 allows me to make my teammates play more. The team can no longer use me as a ‘facilitator’. And in defense, I can help my partners more. It’s interesting“, recognized the former player of the Mets 92. But if this victory is marked with the seal of the collective, Wemby is nevertheless the one who keeps his head above water.
Every time I’m on the field, I have my goals in mind
Friday, the number 1 of the last draft made every minute he spent on the boards wonderfully profitable. Impressing all observers once again after his triple double against Detroit. And he relishes this ability to mark his territory. “I try to be focused on every possession. Every time I’m on the field, I have my goals in mind. Every time I crash a dunk, I have my goals in mind. I just have this energy that will push me to win. I announced it. And I don’t speak for nothing”he admitted during the post-match press conference while explaining that he was aiming for the title one day.
This desire to make an impression was particularly illustrated in the third quarter when Wemby planted some spectacular dunks to kill the match. Actions that damaged the morale of the Hornets. “The goal is sometimes to traumatize“, announced the Frenchman on Sean Elliott’s microphone at the end of the meeting. And the former protégé of Nanterre, who will not play on Saturday so as not to take any risks with his ankle and is looking forward to no longer being limited in terms of minutes, is doing it perfectly at the moment.
Wembanyama on the science of counterattack: “I passed a milestone at 15”