Category: Wemby

Potential No. 1 pick Alex Sarr reveals goals to begin NBA career

Sarr has emerged as one of the top international prospects and potential top pick wants to make an immediate impact at the next level.

Alexandre Sarr has emerged as one of the top international prospects in the 2024 NBA draft, and the potential No. 1 pick wants to make an immediate impact at the next level.

Sarr, who was born in France, brings plenty of experience after beginning his career with the Real Madrid junior team at the age of 14. He then spent two years at Overtime Elite before signing with the Perth Wildcats in the National Basketball League.

The 7-footer averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on 52% shooting from the field in 27 games with the Wildcats. He scored in double figures 14 times, including a season-high 18 points, five blocks and two rebounds on Jan. 26 against the S.E. Melbourne Phoenix.

Sarr, speaking on “Podcast P with Paul George” presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, believes that professional experience will help his transition to the NBA.

I want to make an impact the first day I get there. Obviously, there are going to be some learning moments. There are going to be some bad games probably. I feel like I kind of already went through it and know how to get through it.

Sarr established himself as one of the top prospects after dazzling in two preseason games against the G League Ignite, averaging 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, six blocks and two assists. He continued to perform at a high level in the NBL and remained atop draft boards throughout the season.

The Frenchman is highly touted for his ability to protect the paint and block shots with his 7-foot, 4 1/4-inch wingspan. He has an evolving offensive game and has drawn some comparisons to Giannis Antetokounmpo with his size, skill set and ability in the open court.

Sarr saw the success that Victor Wembanyama saw this past season and wants to follow in his footsteps. He wants to affect games just as Wembanyama did.

I want to make an impact as much as he did in the league. I think what he did this year, he met the expectations that were given to him. It is really inspiring. He makes me think about the (French) national team 2-3 years from now and it is exciting.

He has some competition to be the first player selected by the Atlanta Hawks on June 26. Fellow countryman Zaccharie Risacher is also in contention, as the Hawks are reportedly considering both players. But Sarr likely won’t fall past the Washington Wizards at No. 2.

Sarr cited his versatility on both ends of the court and ability to play in any system as key reasons why he should be the top pick by the Hawks. He also feels as though his offensive game is underrated after being limited some in the NBL.

With much of the predraft process left to play out, Sarr is focused on preparing himself to make the jump to the NBA and his goal to become a franchise cornerstone with his next team.

“I (want to be a) part of a winning team in five years, having that established around me,” Sarr said. “Individually, I would say probably winning Rookie of the Year, getting All-Star appearances (and) making All-NBA teams maybe in 3-4 years.”

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Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama earns historic NBA All-Defensive first-team selection

Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama added to a historic rookie campaign after earning a selection to the NBA All-Defensive first team.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama added to an historic rookie campaign on Tuesday after the No. 1 pick was voted to the NBA All-Defensive first team.

Wembanyama, who finished as the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year, became the first rookie in history to be selected to the All-Defensive first team. He is one of six first-year players to earn a placement on the All-Defensive teams and the first since Tim Duncan in 1998.

The 7-footer earned 86 of a possible 99 first-team votes from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters to finish second behind Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Robert, who was the Defensive Player of the Year.

Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals in 71 games. He led the league in blocked shots and registered the most 30-point games (11) by a rookie since Trae Young in the 2018-19 season.

The Frenchman is the second rookie to lead the league in blocks (Manute Bol, 1986). He ranked second in defensive box plus-minus (plus-3.3), fifth in defensive win shares (4.4) and eighth in rebounds. He also had the most games with at least five blocks (24).

Wembanyama was the Rookie of the Year, becoming the sixth player to win the award unanimously and the first since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2016. He was also a unanimous selection to the All-Rookie first team, announced on Monday.

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NBA All-Rookie: Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren unanimously voted to first team

Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren and Brandon Miller headlined the 2023-24 NBA All-Rookie first team announced on Monday.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren and Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller headlined the 2023-24 NBA All-Rookie first team announced on Monday by the league.

Wembanyama, the Rookie of the Year, and Holmgren were unanimous selections to the first team, earning all 99 votes from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Miller finished in third place with 97 first-team votes.

Joining the trio are Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski. Jaquez received 89 first-place votes, while Podziemski earned 64 in the final tally released in the announcement by the league.

Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II, Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson, Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George, Thunder guard Cason Wallace and Memphis Grizzlies guard GG Jackson II were named to the All-Rookie second team.

Jackson, after a strong finish to the season, edged Warriors center Trayce Jackson-Davis, Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson and Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson for the 10th and final place on the second team.

The 10 players selected to the two teams emerged as the top of the class following productive campaigns. They each have bright futures ahead and are cornerstones for their respective organizations.

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Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama finishes runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year

Wembanyama finished second for the Defensive Player of the Year award, tying the highest placement for a first-year player.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama finished second in voting for the 2023-24 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, tying the highest placement for a first-year player.

Wembanyama received 19 of a possible 99 first-place votes and 245 points in the final tally, trailing the 433 total points earned by Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Gobert became the third player in history to win the award four times.

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo came in third.

Wembanyama tied Manute Bol in the 1985-86 season for the best finish in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, according to HoopsHype. He is one of 10 rookies to receive votes for the honor.

Wembanyama was named the Rookie of the Year on Monday, becoming the sixth player to win the award unanimously and the first since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2016. He is the third player from the Spurs to win, joining David Robinson (1990) and Tim Duncan (1998).

The 7-footer averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals in 71 games. He led the league in blocked shots and registered the most 30-point games (11) by a rookie since Trae Young in the 2018-19 season.

Wembanyama is the second rookie to lead the league in blocks (Bol). He ranked second in defensive box plus-minus (plus-3.3), fifth in defensive win shares (4.4) and eighth in rebounds. He also had the most games with at least five blocks (24).

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Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama reacts to winning NBA Rookie of the Year

Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, becoming the sixth player in history to win the award unanimously.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama on Monday was named the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year, becoming the sixth player in history to win the award unanimously.

Wembanyama became the first player to win the award unanimously since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2016. He received all 99 first-place votes from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. He is the third player from the Spurs to win, joining David Robinson (1990) and Tim Duncan (1998).

The Frenchman finished with 495 points in the final voting, topping the 295 Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren received. Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller finished in third place with 86 points.

“My goal was always to help my team as best as I could and get better as the year went on,” Wembanyama told Ernie Johnson on “NBA on TNT” on Monday. “I knew that in order to do this, I had to be individually good and dominant on the court. It was a huge thing for me and a big thing to get. It has always been really important, and I’m glad it’s finally official.”

Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals in 71 games. He led the league in blocked shots and registered the most 30-point games (11) by a rookie since Trae Young in the 2018-19 season.

The 7-footer is the first player in history to record at least 1,500 points, 700 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 blocks and 100 3-pointers in a season. He is the second rookie to lead the league in blocks (Manute Bol, 1986) and the 10th player to average 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

Wembanyama, who is a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, finished 22nd in steals. He also ranked second in defensive box plus-minus (plus-3.3), fifth in defensive win shares (4.4) and eighth in rebounds. He also had the most games with at least five blocks (24).

He explained to Kenny Smith how he improved throughout the year.

The simple stats, but also the advanced stats — everything pretty much got better. On my side, what I made big efforts on, is the playmaking, the shot selection. After the minutes restrictions I’ve had, I had to get back in good shape to play more than 30-35 minutes. The cardio, I think I’ve made huge improvements on. I’ve never gotten so much better in such a few months, so I’m really glad.

He achieved numerous other accomplishments, including becoming the youngest player in history to register a 5×5 game and recording a triple-double with blocks. He also became the first rookie since Shaquille O’Neal in 1993 to record 40 points and 20 rebounds in a game.

Tabbed an “alien” by LeBron James because of his unique size and skill set, Wembanyama entered the season with tremendous expectations. He exceeded them in his first year with the Spurs and established himself as a franchise cornerstone for years to come.

He believes there is still much to improve on entering the offseason.

“There is plenty of stuff I plan on working on,” Wembanyama told O’Neal. “Physically, of course, the work is never going to be done. I’ve had my plan for months ready for all of my body. We’re going to keep discovering new ways to get better and work on my body. For basketball, there is a lot I want to work on and (head coach Gregg Popovich) Pop wants me to work on, so I’m excited.”

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Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama voted best defender in anonymous player poll

Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama was voted the best defender in the NBA in an anonymous poll of 142 players.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama was voted the best defender in the NBA in an anonymous poll of 142 players conducted by The Athletic over the last month of the season.

Wembanyama finished his first season averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals in 71 games. He led the league in blocked shots and registered the most 30-point games (11) by a rookie since Trae Young in the 2018-19 season.

The 7-footer also ranked second in defensive box plus-minus (plus-3.3), fifth in defensive win shares (4.4), eighth in rebounds and 21st in steals. He registered the most games with at least five blocks (24); the next highest player has nine (Brook Lopez).

Poll: Who is the best defender?

  1. Victor Wembanyama, Spurs: 15.2%
  2. Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics: 12.9%
  3. Lu Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder: 9.8%
  4. Herb Jones, New Orleans Pelicans: 8.3%
  5. Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves: 8.3%

Wembanyama, who is the front-runner to win Rookie of the Year, was named a finalist on Sunday for Defensive Player of the Year, joining Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo and Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, who is the favorite to win.

The 20-year-old earned public praise from his peers throughout the year for his overall ability and skill set. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green picked him to win the award, while Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving signed off on him to be in the running for it.

Wembanyama achieved numerous other accomplishments, including becoming the youngest player in history to register a 5×5 game and recording a triple-double with blocks. In other words, he should be in store for plenty of recognition in the end-of-season awards races.

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Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama nominated for Western Conference Player of the Week

Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama was nominated for the Western Conference Player of the Week award for games played from April 1-7.

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama was nominated for the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week award for games played April 1-7.

Wembanyama averaged 24.3 points, 15 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 6.3 blocks on 41% shooting from the field in three games. He registered a double-double in each game and neared a quadruple-double with 23 points, 15 rebounds, nine blocks and eight assists on April 2.

Kyrie Irving took home the award in the Western Conference.

The No. 1 pick led all players in blocks on the week and was fourth in rebounding. He was the only rookie nominated for the award and joined Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic and Rudy Gobert as nominees.

Wembanyama is averaging 21.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.3 steals in 69 games with the Spurs. He has the most 30-point games (10) by a rookie since Trae Young in the 2018-19 season and is the only rookie to register a triple-double (2) this season.

The 7-footer leads the league in blocks and is 19th in steals. He ranks third in defensive box plus-minus (plus-3.2), sixth in defensive win shares (4.2) and 10th in rebounds. He also has the most games with at least five blocks (23); the next highest player has nine (Brook Lopez).

Wembanyama is the favorite to win Rookie of the Year after a tremendous year with the Spurs. He has exceeded expectations and has established himself as a franchise cornerstone for years to come.

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Draymond Green now believes Victor Wembanyama should win Defensive Player of the Year

Victor Wembanyama is gaining momentum to win Defensive Player of the Year award and recently earned an endorsement from a former winner.

Victor Wembanyama is gaining momentum to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, and the top pick recently earned an endorsement from a former winner: Draymond Green.

Wembanyama is averaging 21.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.5 blocks and 1.3 steals in 67 games with the San Antonio Spurs. He has the most 30-point games (9) by a rookie since Trae Young in the 2018-19 season and is the only rookie to register a triple-double (2) this season.

The 7-footer leads the league in blocks and is 16th in steals. He ranks third in defensive box plus-minus (plus-3.2), sixth in defensive win shares (4.0) and eighth in rebounds. He also has the most games with at least five blocks (22); the next highest player has nine (Brook Lopez).

Green, who won the award in 2017, said last month on his podcast that he didn’t believe Wembanyama should win because the Spurs were ranked 26th in defense. He has since reversed course and believes Wembanyama should win it this year.

I know I said on here a little while back that Wemby shouldn’t be the Defensive Player of the Year and I lied: Wemby should be the Defensive Player of the Year because he is that amazing defensively. The way he impacts the game on the defensive end — whether it is off the ball (or) on the ball — is a problem. When you start driving to the hole and guys may have a layup and they just turn out and go the other way? That’s a problem. … I don’t know what lab he was created in, but I need to go create me a son in that lab because dude is unbelievable.

According to the BetMGM Sportsbook, Wembanyama is second in odds (plus-750) to win Defensive Player of the Year, trailing only Minnesota center Rudy Gobert (minus-2500). Gobert is a three-time winner and last took home the honors in 2021.

In addition to Green, Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving recently signed off on Wembanyama winning the award, given his body of work on the defensive end of the court this season. Irving believes Wembanyama has the tools to be a consistent contender each year.

The late push by Wembanyama for the award will likely fall short, but the 20-year-old is looking forward to competing against Gobert for it in the future given their connection. He knows his time is coming to win the award.

“I know that Rudy has a very good chance of winning it this year, and it would be deserved,” Wembanyama said on March 14, via Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “Let him win it now because after that, it’s no longer his turn.”

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Spurs’ Wembanyama, Hornets’ Miller named rookies of the month for third straight time

Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller for the third straight time have been named the Rookies of the Month for March.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama and Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller were named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference rookies of the month, respectively, for the third straight time.

Wembanyama became the first Spurs rookie to win three months in a row since Tim Duncan after averaging 23.2 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 1.2 steals in 12 games. He led all rookies in scoring, rebounding and blocks in March.

Miller averaged 18.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 14 games, becoming the fifth player in franchise history to win three times. He was second among rookies in scoring and led all first-year players in 3-pointers (42).

Wembanyama registered five 30-point games, the most by a rookie in a calendar month since LeBron James in December 2003. He produced a career-high 40 points and 20 rebounds on March 29, becoming the first rookie since Shaquille O’Neal in 1993 to reach that mark.

Miller was the third-fastest Hornets rookie to surpass 1,000 career points after reaching that mark on March 15 (60 games). He later registered his third 30-point game of the season after recording 31 points with a career-high seven 3s on March 27.

Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson II and Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson were also nominated for the award from the West. Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick, Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Hornets forward Vasilije Micić were also nominated in the East.

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Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama fined for postgame action in Knicks win

Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama has been fined $25,000 for throwing the game ball into the spectator stands.

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama has been fined $25,000 for throwing the game ball into the spectator stands, the NBA announced on Sunday.

The incident occurred on Friday following a 130-126 overtime win over the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center. Wembanyama held onto the ball as time expired in the overtime session, then promptly let it go to celebrate with the home crowd.

Wembanyama joked in his postgame press conference that “somebody else” would pay for it, likely not aware of the penalty for throwing the ball into the stands. The fine will automatically be deducted from his next paycheck.

Wembanyama recorded a career-high 40 points, 20 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block in the win. He became the first rookie to register a 40-20 game since Shaquille O’Neal had 46 points and 21 rebounds with the Orlando Magic on Feb. 16, 1993.

He is the second-youngest player with such a stat line (20 years, 85 days).

The epic display by Wembanyama was enough to be one of the top performances across the league, but the 7-footer was outdueled by Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who had a career-high 61 points. It was the sixth-highest output in the NBA this season.

Wembanyama is averaging 21 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 3.4 blocks and 1.2 steals on 46.8% shooting from the field in 65 games. He leads the NBA in blocks and also tops the rookie class in points, rebounds and steals this season.

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