The Spurs have finally granted Victor Wembanyama his longtime wish

The Spurs gave fans exactly what they needed when they released training camp footage, showing Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet in the same lineup. It's early in camp, so the fact that they were already running that combination lets us know exactly where their heads are at. They want the Wemby/Kornet duo to be a thing. They want it to work. And so does their franchise star.

We've known since before he drafted that Wembanyama didn't picture himself playing center full-time. The reports were out there. That doesn't mean he never wants to play the position. He just didn't want to be stuck there as if his only job was to defend the rim, set screens, and roll to the basket.

Vic is more than a unicorn, and that's why they dubbed him the Alien. He does everything, and Kornet's presence will help him get back to that.

Wembanyama and Kornet will be a strong duo

The past two years are nothing if not indicators of Wemby's selflessness. After being clear about his desire not to play center full-time, it's pretty much exactly what he's had to do after the Zach Collins experiment failed. Things just weren't going well, and the Spurs lost 15 games in a row trying to force that combination to work.

Collins played hard when he was here, and even though it didn't work out, I'm not going to place all the blame at his feet. The Spurs were also running Jeremy Sochan at point guard, playing Malaki Branham significant minutes, and the entire team was adjusting to having an extraterrestrial on the floor.

During the Olympics last summer, Team France gave us a glimpse into what a double big lineup could look like if the other player were a strong defender, though. Rudy Gobert filled the role that Kornet will take now. We may even see them roll that lineup onto the floor right from the beginning. De'Aaron Fox won't suit up for the first few games, so their projected starting lineup will have to go on hold.

It's a new day in the NBA. Or maybe it's an old day. What's old often turns new again, and the double big lineup isn't something that nobody has seen before. It's just taken a back seat to the preference of pace and space. But that's forced the evolution of big men, and they can get up and down the floor now.

What hasn't changed is knowing that big men with skill often defeat smaller players with the same skill sets. That's why little point guards are often unable to lead their teams to a title as the best player. You can be as athletic and shifty as you want, but if the opposition puts someone larger with similar athleticism, you're going to struggle. We've seen this happen constantly throughout NBA history.

The former Boston Celtic center isn't as dynamic athletically as other guys, but he's smart, he can move his feet, and he knows how to position himself to help his team on both sides of the floor. Putting him next to Wembanyama is going to cause migraines for the other teams, and Vic knows it. That's what he's wanted from the beginning.