Category: Wemby

Victor Wembanyama offers high praise for Magic All-Star Paolo Banchero

Magic forward Paolo Banchero is a first-time All-Star this season, though at least one of his peers believes he is a bit underrated.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero is a first-time All-Star this season, though at least one of his peers believes the reigning Rookie of the Year is underrated: Victor Wembanyama.

The top pick of the San Antonio Spurs gave Banchero praise on Friday after competing in the Rising Stars game at NBA All-Star Weekend. Though the two players didn’t face each other in the exhibition, they have already played twice in the regular season.

The Magic took both meetings against the Spurs; Banchero played a key role in each victory. Wembanyama was asked about Banchero and was happy to talk about the No. 1 pick in 2022.

I’m surprised nobody asked me (about him) before. I’m kind of happy someone finally did because I think he is one of the most underrated players and No. 1 picks in the past years. I don’t even understand why. But he is someone that I think has a bright future.

Banchero became the ninth Magic player to be named an All-Star. He joined Shaquille O’Neal as the only two players in franchise history to be named Rookie of the Year and then an All-Star in the following season. He is the youngest All-Star and one of four first-time selections this year.

He is averaging a career-high 23 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.1 steals on 36.5% shooting from 3-point range. He is 21st in the league in scoring and has produced nine 30-point games, the most by a Magic player since Nikola Vucevic (9) in the 2020-21 season.

Banchero had the opportunity to team up with Wembanyama on Saturday in the Skills Challenge in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was a bit surprised to learn that Wembanyama believes he is underrated, though doesn’t necessarily concern himself too much with that premise.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t (believe I was underrated), but it is what it is,” Banchero said. “I still went No. 1, Rookie of the Year, so I can’t complain too much. As a competitor and player, you do feel slighted in a way sometimes, but I don’t let it get to my head too much. I try to just go out there and put on a show every night.”

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NBA Skills Challenge 2024: Pacers win title, defeating 1st Picks, All-Stars

The hometown Indiana Pacers won the 2024 NBA Skills Challenge on Saturday, defeating the 1st Picks and All-Stars at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The hometown Indiana Pacers won the 2024 NBA Skills Challenge on Saturday, defeating the 1st Picks and All-Stars at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Pacers, which featured Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner, took the relay and passing challenges for 200 points. They were taken to the tiebreaker round after Scottie Barnes, Tyrese Maxey and Trae Young won the shooting portion for the All-Stars.

After each finished with 200 points, the Pacers and All-Stars attempted halfcourt shots to settle the tie. The Pacers beat the All-Stars’ mark when Haliburton drained the shot with 20.5 seconds left to spare.

The Pacers and All-Stars emerged as the top two groups in the event, as Paolo Banchero, Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama struggled in the first two challenges for 1st Picks. Edwards even shot left-handed in the relay event, which didn’t sit well with Reggie Miller on the broadcast.

The home team had its fans behind them and easily had the biggest ovation of the three groups. Haliburton even paid homage to Miller by recreating his infamous choking celebration after knocking down the halfcourt shot to beat the All-Stars.

The Skills Challenge tipped off the festivities on Saturday night and continued a busy weekend as the league celebrated its stars with the annual showcase.

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Spurs’ Gregg Popovich explains how Victor Wembanyama has improved on defense

Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama has emerged as one of the top shot blockers, and coach Gregg Popovich believes he is improving each game.

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama has emerged as one of the top shot blockers in the NBA, and coach Gregg Popovich believes the 7-footer is improving each game.

Wembanyama is averaging 20.5 points, 10 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 3.2 blocks and 1.1 steals on 46.8% shooting from the field in 49 games. He leads the rookie class in points, rebounds and blocks and is the only first-year player with four 30-point games.

The top pick leads the league in blocks and is 10th in defensive box plus-minus (plus-2.3) and 15th in defensive win shares (2.6). The Spurs, as a team, are fifth in blocks per game (6.1), with Wembanyama leading the way each night.

Popovich explained how Wembanyama has improved in that area.

He is learning about who he is guarding because he has no idea who these guys are. You can watch them on film, but it doesn’t mean anything until you get out on the court with them, so that has been an education for him. He is learning how to use his length more where he doesn’t have to get up into people. Obviously, he has taken a great liking to being a great shot-blocker. He has gotten better and better at that as far as understanding the schemes defensively that we want to employ and knowing that he is the leader in that regard.

Wembanyama registered his second triple-double this week, recording 27 points, 14 rebounds, 10 blocks and five assists in a win over the Toronto Raptors. He became the fourth rookie to record a triple-double with blocks.

He is still putting up big numbers despite logging fewer than 30 minutes on average. The team has limited his playing time since he rolled his ankle in December, and he only started playing in back-to-back games at the end of January.

Popovich believes his minutes should increase.

It is amazing the numbers he is getting in for that few minutes but we’ve decided that’s the best way to bring him along right now. I think toward the end of the season, we’ll probably raise it a little bit. I think we had three or four weekends in a row with three (games) in four nights or something like that, so it was fun to see how he’d react. Once or twice, he reacted like a rookie. He hit the wall, for sure. They all do. There was a point there where he had played in more games this year than all of last year in half of the time.

Wembanyama is emerging as a force on both ends of the floor for the Spurs and has only scratched the surface of his potential. He has proven himself as a generational talent in a small sample size and should only become more dominant with time.

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Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Victor Wembanyama maintains No. 1 spot after historic performance

Rookie Wire took a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2023-24 season.

The regular season is past the trade deadline and approaching NBA All-Star Weekend, with the top players in the game set to compete in various events in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The crop of rookies continues to perform well this season, resulting in some remarkable performances of late. Led by Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Brandon Miller, Scoot Henderson and others, they have captured national attention and have been fascinating at times.

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The class will be represented in the Rising Stars game, as 11 first-year players will participate in the revamped exhibition. Including 10 sophomores, and seven players from the G League, the game will feature the top up-and-coming players.

To make sense of it all, we looked at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but to illustrate the best players week to week.

Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama posts absurd stat line for historic triple-double

Victor Wembanyama registered a rare triple-double and joined some elite company to lead the Spurs to a win over the Raptors.

Victor Wembanyama registered a rare triple-double on Monday and joined elite company in the history books to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a win over the Toronto Raptors.

Wembanyama produced 27 points, 14 rebounds, 10 blocks, five assists and two steals in a 122-99 victory to snap a seven-game losing streak. He went 10-of-14 from the field, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, in 29 minutes of work.

The top pick became the fifth player in history to record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, 10 blocks and five assists in a game. He is the first player to record a triple-double with blocks since Clint Capela in January 2021 and just the fourth rookie to reach that mark.

“He did a little bit of everything,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Obviously, he is an all-around talented player. (He has) got a great feel for the game, and it shows in a variety of ways, whether he is passing, making decisions or blocking shots. It doesn’t matter.”

Wembanyama notched the triple-double midway through the fourth quarter after swatting Raptors rookie Gradey Dick in the paint. It is his second of the season after previously recording one on Jan. 10 with points, rebounds and assists.

The 7-footer had those watching paying close attention to his stat line after swatting his 10th shot of the game. He wasn’t necessarily close to registering the fifth quadruple-double ever, but it was something that crossed his mind.

“As a second thought, yes, but I was trying to win first,” Wembanyama said of accomplishing that feat. “I almost got a quintuple-double with (seven) turnovers.”

Wembanyama became the first rookie since Spurs legend and Hall of Famer David Robinson in February 1990 to record a triple-double with blocks. He also joined Ralph Sampson and Mark Eaton to reach that mark since blocks became an official stat in the 1973-74 season.

He was thrilled to join Robinson in the history books.

“It is great company to have my name next to him,” Wembanyama said. “I guess it counts even more since it is family, from the Spurs and San Antonio.”

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Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama among No. 1 picks to compete in Skills Challenge

Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama will be among three No. 1 picks to team up in the Skills Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend.

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama will be among three No. 1 picks to team in the Skills Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Wembanyama will be joined by All-Stars Paolo Banchero (Orlando, 2022) and Anthony Edwards (Minnesota, 2020) in the competition. They will compete against Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers and another team.

The Skills Challenge usually features three teams of three players, typically with teams consisting of rookies, players from the host team and others. The format of the competition last year included a timed on-court relay, passing and shooting obstacles.

Wembanyama and Banchero were also among 28 players selected to compete in the NBA Rising Stars game on Feb. 16. Wembanyama was the top pick in the draft by Hall of Famer Pau Gasol, while Banchero was selected second by Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings.

The rest of the competitors are expected to be announced soon.

The Skills Challenge will tip off All-Star Saturday night on Feb. 17, with the 3-Point Contest, NBA (Stephen Curry) vs. WNBA (Sabrina Ionescu) 3-Point Challenge and Slam Dunk Contest to follow at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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NBA Rising Stars 2024: Full rosters revealed in draft announcement

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the four seven-player teams for the 2024 NBA Rising Stars game.

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the four seven-player teams for the 2024 NBA Rising Stars game on Feb. 16 as part of All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The event will feature four seven-player teams competing in a three-game tournament for the third straight year. The two semifinal games will be played to a target score of 40. The championship game will be played to a target score of 25.

The pool of players for the game consists of 11 rookies, 10 second-year players and seven players from the G League. The 21 players in the NBA will be drafted onto three teams. The seven players in the G League will comprise the fourth team.

The players from the NBA were selected by assistant coaches. The players from the G League were selected by the league office. Each team submitted a rookie ballot and a sophomore ballot featuring four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players of any position.

Hall of Famer Pau Gasol will return as one of the four honorary head coaches for the event. Joining Gasol are Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings and former Indiana Pacers standouts Jalen Rose and Detlef Schrempf, who will lead the G League team.

Here are the rosters drafted by Gasol, Catchings and Rose.

Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller win NBA Rookies of the Month for January

Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month for January.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama and Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month for January.

Wembanyama became the first Spurs player to win the award since Beno Udrih in December 2004 after averaging 24 points, 9.6 rebounds and a league-leading 3.4 blocks on 50.6% shooting from the field in 14 games. He led all rookies in scoring, rebounding and blocks.

Miller captured the award for the first time after averaging 16 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists on 42.1% shooting from the field in 13 games. He led all Eastern Conference rookies in scoring and 3-pointers (33) and became the first Hornet to win since LaMelo Ball in March 2021.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren and Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore were also nominated for the award in the Western Conference. Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly and Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. were nominated in the East.

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Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Hornets’ Brandon Miller rises up past Chet Holmgren

Rookie Wire took a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2023-24 season.

Over half of the NBA season is in the books as teams and players around the league look ahead to the trade deadline and All-Star break in the next two weeks.

The trade chatter figures to ramp up considerably before the deadline on Feb. 8, with several teams expected to be active. The impending rumors and other speculation should once again create plenty of storylines to watch over the next several days.

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The league announced the All-Star starters for each conference last week and will unveil the reserve players on Thursday. Though there likely won’t be a rookie announced as an All-Star, the class will be well-represented during the NBA Rising Stars game on Feb. 16.

To make sense of it all, we looked at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but to illustrate the best players week to week.

NBA Rising Stars 2024: Player pool revealed for annual showcase at All-Star Weekend

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the list of 28 players set to participate in the annual Rising Stars game on Feb. 16 at All-Star Weekend.

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the list of 28 players set to participate in the annual Rising Stars game on Feb. 16 as part of All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The event will feature four seven-player teams competing in a three-game tournament for the third straight year. The two semifinal games will be played to a target score of 40. The championship game will be played to a target score of 25.

The pool of players for the game consists of 11 rookies, 10 second-year players and seven players from the G League. The 21 players in the NBA will be drafted onto three teams and the seven players in the G League will comprise the fourth team.

The players from the NBA were selected by assistant coaches. The players from the G League were selected by the league office. Each team submitted a rookie ballot and a sophomore ballot featuring four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players of any position.

Hall of Famer Pau Gasol will return as one of the four honorary head coaches for the event. Joining Gasol are Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings and former Indiana Pacers standouts Jalen Rose and Detlef Schrempf, who will lead the G League team.

Assistant coaches from the NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs will join the honorary head coaches in coaching the Rising Stars teams. The NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs for both the Eastern and Western Conferences have yet to be determined.

TNT will televise the competition beginning at 9 p.m. EST.