3 Bold Predictions as the San Antonio Spurs kick off the Wembanyama Era

The title of this article is self-explanatory, and avid Air Alamo readers might remember a similar post from me last season. For transparency, I went 0-of-5 on those predictions. They're called bold takes for a reason! The goal is to get at least one right this go-round, so tune in tonight as our San Antonio Spurs host the Dallas Mavericks to see how these fresh forecasts fare.

1.) Wemby becomes first rookie to make All-NBA since Tim Duncan

Starting out the gates HOT here, but you must be excessive when making a bold assertion about Victor Wembanyama. Many analysts have labeled the 19-year-old as a potential All-Star or ticketed him as an All-Defensive Team candidate as he enters his first year in the league. Taking home one or both of those prestigious honors would be a tremendous culmination of his rookie season, but we can take this one step further.

We are here to make audacious statements while remaining at least somewhat reasonable. This prediction stretches that premise to the max. Only 11 rookies have made an All-NBA team since 1960. The Silver and Black deserve a shoutout, as the most recent players to pull off that feat are both franchise legends. David Robinson did it first in 1990, and Tim Duncan followed in his footsteps in 1998.

Not to say that correlation implies causation, but that trend could spell positive things for the 7-foot-3 Frenchman. Anyone who watched Wemby dominate preseason against legitimate NBA players realized that although the Alien is only scratching his potential as a basketball player, he is going to make an impact all over the court immediately.

Depending on San Antonio's record this season, an All-Star appearance is definitely in the cards for Wembanyama. An All-Defense nod could also be on the horizon, especially for a guy who alters so many shots while guarding almost every inch of the court. Voters will start penning him in on every award ballot soon, but can he perform well enough to earn All-NBA recognition as a rookie?

What could hold this prediction back? — The new 65-game mandate for most awards and the Spurs potentially landing near the bottom of the league standings for a fifth consecutive season.