Cavs Tip Cap To Spurs' Victor Wembanyama: 'He's As Advertised'
Sometimes you have to find out what the hype is about by getting up close and personal.
After the Cleveland Cavaliers narrowly escaped a San Antonio Spurs upset down the stretch, they couldn't help but nod their collective heads toward Victor Wembanyama, who was a big part of the visitors' comeback effort.
"He's as advertised," Cavs star Donovan Mitchell said. "I don't know if he's gonna fill out like Giannis [Antetokounmpo] or what it'll be, but right now he's doing things that.... you can tell he's young, so he's doing things that you can see what he will ultimately be, the competitor he is. I saw it against the Bucks, seeing it [Sunday], never stopping."
“I'm excited for him. He is going to have a long career in this league," added Jarrett Allen, who delivered once again in a battle with the sensational rookie with 29 points and 16 rebounds. "He's talented, can take people off the dribble, excellent shot blocker. What else? Post-up. He has it all. I'm happy for him and I hope he excels.”
Prior to the contest, Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff spoke highly of what Wembanyama brings to the table.
"I mean the size is one thing. The product that he presents with just length and athleticism alone, the threat that he becomes at the rim and how he gets there, if he's in the paint, he's at the rim," Bickerstaff said.
"But I mean his skillset of being able to handle the ball and pick-and-roll and shoot the ball and pick-and-roll as a big guy. Typically when you guard guys like that, you're not used to that. But I mean the overall skill set, you just can't say enough about for a guy that size and that age."
Wemby finished the game with 24 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, three assists and a steal — all in 25 minutes of action.
"He's already a defensive monster," Mitchell said. "The one [possession] where he took the ball and I had to shoot it in the corner. Pretty sure he was three or four feet away from me. Most bigs have the wingspan to get there and play the lob with JA. So those are things, just disruptive defensively that he already has.
"You never realize how big his wingspan and how tall he is until you actually go up against hi, and that just surprised me [Sunday]," Allen added.
Jan 7, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) looks to shoot beside San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
In closing his remarks, Mitchell thought of one of his old teammates and Wemby's fellow French countrymen while out on the floor.
"I've already played with Rudy [Gobert]. To see him and to see someone bigger and longer than him, I think it's pretty wild," Mitchell said.
It's safe to say that Wembanyama hasn't even come close to scratching the surface regarding what he's capable of.
