International update: Wembanyama showcasing exciting ability despite losing

A great way to gauge the potential greatness of a young player is to watch how they respond to early expectations. When Kawhi Leonard was drafted, he was painted as a defensive guy with virtually no shooting ability, but in his rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs, he shot 37% from distance. In his 12-year career, he has only shot less than 37% from three twice. Victor Wembanyama did something similar in his inaugural season, despite the hype he hit the scene with.

Most analysts predicted that Wembanyama's defense would be ahead of the game as soon as he stepped foot on an NBA court. Their confidence in his offense was less steadfast, as they figured it would take time for him to adjust to the physicality of the league. He averaged 21 points per game, so that was wrong. Now, even though he's suffered four straight defeats with Team France, Wembanyama is displaying a substantial improvement in his shooting.

Wembanyama will average 27 points per game at this rate

Next season, he's the odds-on favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, but with the addition of Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes and the growth fans are bound to see from a few of the incumbent players, the playoffs are not out of the question. In order for Wemby to lead the Spurs to the postseason, he'll need to improve his own shooting following his rookie year at 33% from three. Fortunately, it seems like he has done just that.

Last NBA season, there was only one month when Victor shot over 35% from long range. That was the month of February, when Wembanyama was on a monstrous tear. With all the talk about the rest of the players that need to improve their shooting to grant more space for Wemby and Devin Vassell to work, the onus also lies with Victor himself. He knows it, and it looks like he has made a point to raise that percentage significantly.

While he has the size to be impactful in the paint, he doesn't yet have the frame to play at the basket primarily. He may never get a frame built for that, and that's not how you should want him to play anyway. What makes him special is his ability to do virtually everything imaginable on the court at his size with the grace and touch he possesses. If he shoots 40% from three next season, he'll make himself the most unstoppable player in the NBA. That version of Vic leads to the playoffs.