Following Frances’ defeat to Team USA, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama had some bold words about his potential. He can begin to live up to that potential starting in 2024-25 when he begins his second season.
Many expect big things from Wembanyama with him spending the summer playing with and against the best players in the world. That is in addition to him being set to play with future Hall of Famer Chris Paul, who should get him plenty of easy shots. Especially after his Spurs teammates often struggled to get him the ball last season.
That would go a long way toward Wembanyama’s development, with many top prospects often making a big leap in their second season. In fact, Basketball Reference currently projects him to average at least 26 points per game next season, which would have ranked thirteenth in the NBA in 2023-24.
Nevertheless, he will still be measured up against how he’ll play against the best players in the NBA, and there are plenty of them who he will have to face. That is why he should have these 5 players on his hit list next season.
1) Chet Holmgren
Before Wembanyama put the Rookie of the Year conversation away last season, Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren was a threat to steal the award away. Given how young both he and the Thunder are, he could be a long-term rival to Wembanyama and the Spurs for years to come. Holmgren, like Wembanyana, is a highly skilled 7’0 player who can score in several ways as well as swat shots like no one’s business.
That makes them an easy comparison. Having someone who seems capable of guarding Wembanyama and going at him on offense could prove to be a challenge to the Spurs and their hopes of dominating the Western Conference.
Still, Wemby can make a statement in each of the Spurs and Thunders’ four games next season, proving that Holmgrem is not like him. If that is the case, then San Antonio’s future chances of going toe-to-toe with the Thunder improve with OKC having trouble stopping Wembanyama.
That would make things easier for the likes of Devin Vassell or other Spurs who aren’t necessarily able to create shots for themselves. That might put a lot of pressure on those matchups between Holmgren and Wembanyama, but Wembanyama showing that Holmgren isn’t on his level is important to San Antonio’s future title aspirations.
2) Joel Embiid
Having an MVP and two-time scoring champ on your hit list is ambitious, but Embiid has to pay for dropping 70 points on Wembanyama. Unlike the other players on this list, Wembanyama has a limited opportunity for payback with Embiid playing in the Eastern Conference and is good to miss 20 games a season.
Still, Wembanyama dropped 33 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 blocks as a rookie against Embiid, and with Chris Paul setting him up, he might top that by trying to drop 50 points. That would be a statement, especially with Embiid seen as the second-best center in the NBA and turning 30 next season.
Letting him know that Wemby is in his rearview would go a long way towards a changing of the guard. There might also be some added incentive for Wembanyama, with Embiid choosing to play for Team USA instead of France and winning gold while Wembanyama had to settle for silver. All of that makes for intriguing storylines in a meeting of the two big men.
3) Nikola Jokic
Perhaps one of the most surprising things that happened last season was Wembanyama going off against the Denver Nuggets in an April game. Wemby scored 17 points over a three-minute stretch, helping the Spurs stun the Nuggets and negatively affecting their seeding.
That contributed to Denver having to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs, who proved to be a better team in a grueling seven-game series. Having Wemby impact a then-defending champion’s repeat chances showed just how big of an impact he can have.
Next season, with three games against the Nuggets and hopefully more, should the Spurs make the playoffs, many will be watching the Nikola Jokic-Wembanyama matchup closely. Jokic is not only the best player in the league but the best center, both mantles that Wemby will hopefully assume sooner rather than later. Jokic might also get up for those games too, to try and stave off an up-and-coming superstar.
Having Wemby cook Jokic and the Nuggets would put the league on notice that Wembanyama is the real deal. It may also have bigger implications. Playoff seeding is one, but also nationally televised games.
If Wembanyama becomes must-see TV, then you better believe that the Spurs will become fixtures of the NBA’s national games. With the Spurs often being overlooked even when they were great, having them back in the spotlight would be a big deal.
4) Anthony Davis
After the finalists for Defensive Player of the Year were announced, Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis questioned why he had never won the award. To his credit, he does have a point with him being one of the best defensive players in the NBA year after year, but his comments could also be seen as a slight towards Wembanyama, with the implication being that a rookie shouldn’t have been considered over him.
That might not be enough to start a rivalry, but the Lakers and Spurs have historically been rivals, and they are still one of the most popular teams in the NBA, not to mention they have one of the best players ever in LeBron James. Wembanyama may not set out to shut down Davis, but if he plays all out against the Lakers whenever they meet, then that might be the result.
Having Wembanyama go off against Davis on one end and then put the clamps on him on the other end would be impressive considering Davis is the second-best all-around center in the NBA. Not to mention that he is also one of the most accomplished, with nine all-star appearances, a championship, and an NBA Cup to show for his success. Wemby should come to play for those games against Davis.
5) Alperen Sengun
The Houston Rockets made big strides last season after being awful since trading James Harden back in early 2021, even winning 11 straight games late last season. Part of their improvement had to do with Rockets big man Alperen Sengun, who had a breakout season last year, averaging 21.1 points and 9.3 rebounds. Houston’s ascension coincides with Spurs’, with the in-state rivals being linked in more ways than one.
San Antonio painfully passed up on drafted Sengun in favor of taking Joshua Primo 12th overall in 2021. That makes Sengun’s improvement frustrating for some Spurs fans, with him even dropping a career-high 45 points against them. On the other hand, Rockets fans are still big mad about their team failing to land the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and having to watch as the rival Spurs were able to select Wembanyama.
With both teams rising and possibly competing for a spot in the play-in tournament, each of their four matches next season will be hugely important. San Antonio winning that season series would help in potential tiebreakers when it comes to the playoff race.
Also, having Sengun and Wembanyama possibly compete for a spot on the West all-star team could make those matchups even more special, with Wemby hopefully cooking Sengun each time.
