SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama is really tall.
Like, really, really tall.
And in an age where modern-day centers are beginning to be relied upon differently than they were back in the day — which for the San Antonio Spurs , brings to mind greats like David Robinson, Tim Duncan and if you back far enough, Artis Gilmore — that’s entirely a positive.
To fit the mold of the ideal big man in 2024, Wembanyama needed to be able to shoot from deep. He’s proven he can do that, despite some consistency issues. He also needed to be able to play any position — ever seen a 7-4 rookie dribble the ball from the baseline into a pull-up 3-pointer?
Well, the Spurs have.
On defense, Wembanyama had to be a rim protector. And at the halfway mark of the season, he leads the league in total blocked shots and blocks per game with a figure never-been-seen in the 21st century.
He also had to be mobile, so he made sure to score a behind-the-back poster dunk over Brook Lopez — another 7-foot center — and slam home a self-pass off the backboard over any and all defensive traffic.