Spurs' Chris Paul gives Victor Wembanyama his flowers after defeating Pacers
01/23/2025 07:50 PM
Spurs point guard Chris Paul heaped praise on Victor Wembanyama after the 140-110 win over the Indiana Pacers. The superstar center went off for 30 points, eleven rebounds, six assists, and five blocks in his homecoming game in Paris. This included an incredible alley-loop off the backboard dunk that Wembanyama threw to himself.
In a season full of standout performances from the future All-Star, Paul discussed in a postgame interview how this showing was one of Victor’s best.
“I told Vic after the game that this is one of the most complete games I’ve seen him play all season long. With the expectations of being home, in front of all his family and friends, in front of you guys, some guys get lost in the game and start doing too much. But I think he played a great game on both ends of the court. It’s really nice to win the first of two games here.”
Victor Wembanyama’s special sophomore season continues
Thursday was a get-right game for Victor on offense. The 21-year-old was seeing a slight dip in his production on that side of the floor during the month of January. But on Thursday, Wembanyama went 13-21 from the field, with the Pacers having no answers on how to guard him. On defense, like always, the Spurs’ center was special.
Currently, Victor leads the NBA in blocks at 4.0. That stat is 1.6 more blocks than the next closest player. Considering the fact that Wembanyama is also agile enough to switch onto guards, and his mere presence affects player aggression when it comes to attacking the paint, it’s fair to say that the Spurs’ center will be collecting Defensive Player of the Year awards for the foreseeable future.
Overall, San Antonio picked up a big win as it tries to stay in contention for a Play-In spot. At 20-22, the Spurs are one and a half games out of the tenth spot in the West. However, there is very little separation between a team like San Antonio and the current five-seed in the conference, the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron James and company are only 23-18, meaning there will be a lot of movement in the West as the season continues.
However, this was more than just a win for Victor Wembanyama’s team. This clash with the Pacers showed that the Spurs and their superstar can elevate themselves when put in the spotlight. That aspect is critical for a franchise that expects to be contending for championships in the near future.
Victor is living up to the incredible hype he received leading up to the 2023 NBA Draft. So long as he stays healthy, he should eventually exceed it.
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