Victor Wembanyama aspires to return Spurs to playoffs this season

Not solely did Victor Wembanyama brake many information in his first NBA season and rightfully earned the Rookie of the 12 months award, he most lately is coming from taking part in in six high-pressured contests on the Paris Olympics, and admitted to have discovered many classes after competing on the highest worldwide degree.  

“It’s onerous to win video games within the Olympics. Nevertheless it’s very simple to lose video games,” mentioned the No. 1 choose of the 2023 Draft, as he revealed that he had by no means skilled strain of this type throughout his short-lived profession. He now understands at it’d take “a very long time earlier than I expertise one thing similar to this” within the NBA, until his crew returns to the playoffs.

Throughout San Antonio’s media day this week, the French star spoke of his Olympic classes. “It was perhaps essentially the most intense sports activities expertise in my life,” Victor shared. “I felt actually fortunate to have the prospect to dwell these experiences. I felt proud as effectively. Throughout all elimination video games, for 40 minutes we had been locked in fascinated by one factor: the subsequent play.

Victor Wembanyama was requested by reporters how he plans to handle expectations in yr 2.

His response: “I don’t have any accountability to any of you, actually.”

(by way of @Balldontlie) pic.twitter.com/aAExSlD5Bc

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 1, 2024

“As a crew, it builds one thing to have this degree of focus, all of us in the direction of the identical purpose. The emotion is simply an excessive amount of to comprise. It’s important to scream or cry a bit bit. It’s an excessive amount of to comprise.”

The 20-year-old has been very vocal about wanting to indicate himself with clear manifestation, after what he thought-about a hard-worked offseason. The Spurs large man assured that his goal this yr is extra collective that final yr, as he needs to return his franchise to playoff rivalry.

“These expectations, I simply handle like I’ve managed all of the others for years,” mentioned Wemby, who produced averages of 21.4 factors, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals per sport in his rookie yr. “I simply give attention to my precise duties. I can say I’m glad these skills are being acknowledged.”

The participant has additionally modified bodily, as he’s 25 pound heavier than at first of his first marketing campaign. “My emphasis is all the time going to be on successful and making my teammates higher. It’s no completely different than earlier years. It’s simply that final yr, our expectations had been to be taught and know ourselves. This yr, we anticipate from us to win,” he assured.

Coach Popovich acknowledged that his pupil is stronger and wiser than earlier than, particularly after his expertise representing France up to now Olympics

Wembanyama’s improvement hasn’t gone unnoticed by his coach. “He improved steadily all through the Olympics and ended up being very formidable,” Gregg Popovich mentioned. “His aggressiveness was the massive factor, and physicality. He’s understanding what it takes, what he’s going to get, and what he’s obtained to offer again to counter that sort of factor. FIBA is far more aggressive.”

“So, it was an exquisite little petri dish for him, so to talk,” he added. “To have the ability to have to do this on daily basis and each sport, that’s the place he actually rose because it went alongside. He scored 26 factors towards the USA crew within the Finals. It was sort of like a David Robinson factor the place I didn’t actually know he had 26 factors. It was like that with Victor as a result of he can achieve this many alternative issues.”

The legendary tactician wasn’t the one one who witnessed Wemby’s greatness in these previous summer season Olympics, as new teammate Harrison Barnes watched him play too in Paris, calling the gold-medal sport a “win-win” for him as a result of he excelled on the best stage.

“It simply reveals the expansion and maturity that he has for a man his age to be taking part in in that kind of second at dwelling,” Barnes assured throughout his media day interview. “I don’t suppose folks understand, simply, the strain he was beneath.”