The San Antonio Spurs took care of business against the Utah Jazz on Thursday, cruising to an 106-88 victory, thanks partly due to Victor Wembanyama’s historic 5×5 night. In the victory, Wembanyama became the third player in NBA history to log multiple 5×5 games, joining Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon with six all-time 5×5 games, and former Jazz wing Andrei Kirilenko with three.
Check out the French two-way phenom’s complete stat line in this graphic posted by theScore on X, formerly Twitter.
The Spurs star’s monster night
Moreover, Victor Wembanyama’s 5×5 night against the Jazz came off the heels of his career-worst night when the Oklahoma City Thunder shut him and the Spurs down, holding the Frenchman to his career-low six points on 1-5 shooting. He did grab eight boards, but only dished two dimes and turned the ball over four times.
Meanwhile, Wemby’s rival Chet Holmgren bested him that night, scoring 19 points on 7-10 shooting to help the Thunder remain undefeated with a 105-93 win.
“The NBA is a business,” Holmgren said, via Cliff Brunt for the Associated Press. “And the league has been built around players… It’s really–it’s about getting people to come and watch the games. And that’s one of the ways they do it–by advertising the players. So, I just see it as a form of advertising.”
Against the Jazz, perhaps Wembanyama’s pregame Halloween fit was a sign of things to come, although they also missed the services of Lauri Markkanen, who sat out the game with back spasms.
After signing a lucrative extension with the Jazz, Markkanen paced his team with averages of 18.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in the team’s first four games. However, the Jazz remained winless, deep in the hunt for the next draft’s projected No. 1 pick, Cooper Flagg from Duke.
Outlook
On the other hand, besides his 5×5 games, Victor Wembanyama continues to leave his mark on the modern NBA as a phenomenal prospect, the face of today’s position-less basketball. A seven-foot center with the ball-handling skills of a guard and the shooting of a wing, the Frenchman plays like a taller Kevin Durant mixed with Anthony Davis.
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Wisely, the Spurs also signed Chris Paul in the offseason to help mentor Wemby and maximize his offensive capabilities. Add to that Gregg Popovich’s coaching and the big man might reach his full potential sooner rather than later.
Likewise, former Spur Danny Green agreed.
“[Wembanyama is] way better off,” he said on the Run It Back podcast. “No disrespect to the coaches… but it’s hard to come into a situation and try to make somebody a professional after seeing some unprofessional atmospheres.”
True enough, leave it to the coach who guided Tim Duncan to five championships in his 19-year career in San Antonio to mold Wembanyama into a consummate basketball pro.