Victor Wembaneyama's NBA rookie season has ended. The San Antonio Spurs announced that the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick will not play in Sunday's season finale against the Detroit Pistons due to soreness in his right ankle. His first NBA season will now end after 71 games.
Wenbanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.6 blocks per game this season. He led all NBA rookies in average points, rebounds and blocks per game, making the kind of impact you'd expect from a No. 1 overall pick and becoming a must-see attraction for fans almost every night. The 7-foot-4 French sensation will almost certainly earn NBA Rookie of the Year honors.
Wenbanyama, 20, continued his strong form in his last game, posting 34 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks in a 121-120 upset of the Denver Nuggets. The defending NBA champions could have lost their No. 1 seed in this game. Western Conference.
Wembanayama finished his rookie season as the first player in NBA history to score 1,500 points (1,522), block 250 shots (254), and hit 100 3-pointers (128) in a single season. (He also had 755 rebounds, 274 assists, and 88 steals.)
That definitely puts him in the conversation for the best rookie season in NBA history. But where does Wenbanyama rank compared to other first seasons of some of the best players in the game?
How is Wenbanyama rated among the best players of all time?
His 21.4 points per game is the highest by a rookie since Blake Griffin averaged 22.5 points per game in 2010-11. Wenbanyama's 10.6 rebounds per game is similar, lower than Griffin's average of 12.1 rebounds.
No rookie can match Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged 37.6 points and 27 rebounds per game in the 1959-60 season.
The comparison is incomplete, as blocks were not recorded as a statistic in the NBA until the 1973-74 season. However, based on the information we have, Wenbanyama's 3.6 blocks per game ranks only behind Spurs star David Robinson, who averaged 3.9 blocks in 1989-90.
Perhaps the best measure of Wenbanyama's rookie success is PER (Player Efficiency Rating). This statistic, developed by John Hollinger of The Athletic, measures a player's offensive performance per minute (field goals, free throws, 3 points, assists, rebounds), and includes a variety of factors. Also includes elements. Block and steal.
In 2023-24, Wembaneyama's PER of 23.1 ranked him 15th among all eligible players, ahead of stars like Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, and Devin Booker.
However, Wenbanyama's PER ranks even more favorably among all-time NBA rookies. His 23.1 rating is the third-highest after Chamberlain's 28.2. During that span, only Robinson (26.3 seconds) and Michael Jordan (25.8 seconds) finished ahead of him. He ranks ahead of Shaquille O'Neal (22.9), Karl-Anthony Towns (22.5) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (22.5).
Did Wenbanyama live up to his huge hype? During his rookie season, was he a generational talent not seen in the NBA since LeBron James? (Incidentally, James finished with his PER of 18.3.)
The numbers are. As well as a season's worth of highlights that showcase his height, athleticism and talent. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement.
Wenbanyama is bigger, stronger, more durable, and could potentially play more than 71 games. More importantly, the Spurs can build a better team around him and finish with a better record than the 21-60 mark (tied for worst in the West) entering Sunday's final regular season game. .
Wenbanyama's future looks set to be as exciting as his impressive all-round game.
