Down one point with the clock ticking, Victor Wembanyama catches the rock a half step inside the three-point line at the right elbow. After letting time wind down to just a couple of seconds, Wemby takes a one-dribble pull-up to the right just as the help defense comes from the left and drills the game winner right in his defender's face, and the realization hits you: Wemby literally has it all.
Wemby's clutch gene completes the perfect player
Nobody is supposed to have every basketball skill imaginable, and yet, here we sit in awe of basketball greatness. If you love hoops, you have to love what you're getting from Victor. He's unlike anything we've seen before, and he proves that every time he steps on the court.
He'll wow you with insane blocks nobody is supposed to reach. He handles the ball like no center should. His shot is smooth like Steph Curry's, and Vic will drain them from deep or the midrange. He'll finish around the rim with the most fantastical moves you've ever witnessed.
He gets steals, he drops dimes, and now you know that he's cold-blooded enough to splash game-winners off ISO looks, like his name is Michael Jeffrey Jordan. He dropped 34 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block in the win over Phoenix. His combination of assets is just unfair.
In business, this is called a monopoly, and it's generally frowned upon. No one company is supposed to corner the market on all products needed for that sector to function. It erases competition. Well, what do you think Victor Wembanyama is doing?
Wembanyama's only real weakness is time
His critics will say that he still needs to get stronger so he can impose his will even more but also so he can stop falling down so often. Once he improves the strength in his legs and core, the Idea should end his frequent visits to the hardwood. But I would argue that's a time-related issue that will resolve itself as he gets older.
Wemby has already explained his process for gaining weight and muscle. He's lived up to his word thus far, but we can't rush him. One wrong move with a body that tall and thin, and history tells us that everything can come crumbling down for this young man's future.
He and his team have a plan, and they're sticking to it. And they should. Everything they've done to this point seems to be going swimmingly. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Victor's strength hasn't stopped him from being one of the best players in the game in his third season. There's no player with as many tools in their kit this sharp. He's proving he can find ways to contribute to winning basketball no matter what the game looks like, and if you ask him to win it at the end, he can do that, too.
So, how do you stop a guy like that when he reaches his prime? That was a trick question. You don't.
