Victor Wembanyama just gave the NBA a rude awakening

With only a month left in the NBA regular season, San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama is peaking at the right time. In fact, as the competition has gotten tougher, so has Wembanyama.

In his last five games against playoff teams prior to the L.A. Clippers game, he averaged an impressive 33 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks. For a player who has yet to make his postseason debut, Wembanyama's performance is an encouraging sign that he is up to the task.

Obviously, playing well against playoff teams in the regular season is entirely different than playing them in the actual postseason. That's a fair point. However, Wembanyama has shown that he can elevate his game when playing against tough competition.

Victor Wembanyama just gave the NBA a rude awakening

That development may be great for the Spurs and awful for the rest of the NBA. Perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise, with him having shown that he plays at his best when playing against great teams.

Against the Detroit Pistons, he had one of the best games of the season, scoring 38 points, grabbing 16 rebounds, and blocking five shots. He also poured in 39 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He also tends to play very well against rivals such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets. Him getting up for those games suggests that we may not be seeing him at his absolute best, with him saving it for the playoffs.

Wembanyama has another gear, and the NBA should be terrified

With Wembanyama apparently having another gear against playoff teams, San Antonio also has another card to play in the postseason. Coach Mitch Johnson and the training staff have closely monitored his playing time during the regular season.

This has led to an average of fewer than 30 minutes per game for him. The goal was to keep him healthy for the playoffs. Once they get there, the kid gloves come off.

In fact, we could see him play big minutes for the first time in his career. Instead of averaging around 29 minutes, he could play approximately 33 minutes per game. In must-win games, we could see him play 36–38 minutes.

Remember, he's averaging 24.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game. However, per 36 minutes, he's averaging a stellar 29.9 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks.

If San Antonio gets that version of Wembanyama and his supporting cast shows up, it's difficult to imagine another team beating the silver and black four times in seven games.