Spurs' Victor Wembenyama drops 50, sets NBA record not even Shaq ever touched
Today at 12:17 AM
Victor Wembanyama’s slow start to the season invited plenty of concerns from fans; on social media, they were directing plenty of criticisms towards the San Antonio Spurs star, saying that he’s spending way too much time on the perimeter while being a wannabe Kevin Durant instead of making the most out of his size. But those critics will be real quiet now after Wembanyama exploded for a career-high 50 points in the Spurs’ 139-130 win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
Wembanyama took advantage of a lackluster Wizards frontline and made mincemeat of every defender that attempted to slow him down, ranging from his French compatriot Alex Sarr, to veteran big man Jonas Valanciunas. And in so doing, the Spurs became the youngest center in NBA history to put up at least 50 points in a single game, according to StatMuse on X (formerly Twitter).
Given how many incredible centers have played in the NBA, being the youngest to cross the 50-point mark is no mean feat. However, it is important to note that some of the best centers in the history of the league did not enter the league at quite the young age Wembanyama did, giving him an advantage in the experience department compared to when the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, among others, were his age.
Olajuwon and Abdul-Jabbar were still in college when they were 20, while O’Neal just missed the 50-point mark before turning 21 years old, as he scored 46 points on February 16, 1993 as a rookie for the Orlando Magic.
The Spurs star did not look like his age of 20 years old on Wednesday night as he had his entire bag in full display in their win over the hapless Wizards. Not only did he make eight threes on the night out of his 16 attempts, he also went 8-13 from two-point range, quelling concerns about his tendency to settle for difficult perimeter shots.
Wembanyama is showing why he not only is shaping up to be an unstoppable force when he hits his prime, but right now, he is good enough to lead the Spurs back to relevancy, which should be very frightening for opposing teams.
Victor Wembanyama and Spurs are on a rapid ascent
In another reminder of how competitive the Western Conference continues to be, the Spurs, following their win over the Wizards on Wednesday night, are 6-6. And the thing is, they have staying power, further cluttering the already-congested playoff picture in the conference.
Victor Wembanyama has gotten into a groove on both ends of the floor that it’s easy to forget just how young and inexperienced he still is. He scored 34 points in his previous outing, and he has certainly found the stroke which has opened up the entire floor for the Spurs.
Every Spurs player is doing their part, and with Devin Vassell back, they have even more weapons on the perimeter to surround Wembanyama with. It shouldn’t be long until the Spurs continue their winning ways, and they will look to keep it rolling when they take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night to begin their life in the NBA Cup group stage.
The post Spurs’ Victor Wembenyama drops 50, sets NBA record not even Shaq ever touched appeared first on ClutchPoints.
