Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama has high standards, NBA GMs want him as their centerpiece

SAN ANTONIO – It’s not often that a large group of people agree on something, let alone all 30 NBA general managers.

Just as Victor Wembanyama received all 99 first-place votes for Rookie of the Year, NBA.com’s latest GM poll found that most general managers would choose to coach their franchise more than any other player to build the league around Wemby.

It must be a good feeling for Spurs general manager Brian Wright to be the envy of most NBA offices. So far, the fifth-year general manager has shown patience and efficiency in drafting the No. 1 overall French phenom to build Wembanyama in 2023.

Most importantly, Wright has built San Antonio’s stock for future drafts. Based on early summer league and NBA preseason impressions, Wright appears to have hit the jackpot with his second lottery pick in two years, signing workhorse playmaker Stephon Castle from Connecticut.

While Wright waits for those decisions to pay off in the coming years, the general manager was active this summer, signing future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul and NBA champion Harrison Barnes to bolster the team’s young core .

However, it wasn’t just Wright’s efforts that attracted veterans to the Alamo City. Of course, Paul and Barnes were excited about the opportunity to play for a legendary coach like Gregg Popovich.

Above all, the two veterans wanted the chance to play alongside a game-changing talent like Wembanyama.

Wembanyama’s talent is not just limited to his incredible stature and diverse playing style. The 20-year-old’s psyche is also impressive.

The most recent example of Wembanyama’s mature mentality was a Sports Illustrated piece titled “10 Burning Questions.”

The Spurs star is featured on the cover of the magazine’s Basketball Preview. He answered questions from Star Wars to playing with CP3.

Wembanyama also revealed what surprised him most about his rookie year in the NBA. Wemby’s response quickly made the rounds on social media.

“I think, both good and bad, it’s about how truly the best in the game are,” Wembanyama said. “Some of them are really impressive in a positive way and inspiring in the way they approach the game every night. But others that I used to like, and now I’m just like, ‘No.’ I’m not sure they deserve it, you know, they don’t seem to put in as much work as I thought.”

Wembanyama is methodical in every answer he gives to journalists. Last year’s NBA Rookie of the Year seems to approach a lot of things the same way – like whether or not a player or players he once idolized still deserve his recognition.

“Some guys it was kind of like that, some guys I watched as a kid, I’m not disappointed, but I’m like, ‘That’s it?’ But some of them, I’m talking like KD (Kevin Durant), of course, you know, I got to know Rudy Gobert better on the national team. I know their work ethic,” Wembanyama told SI. “I know how they see the game, it’s really inspiring and I want to do the same. I want to do the same.”

A well-known competitor like Wembanyama’s new teammate Paul must appreciate his perspective and desire to be a great NBA player.

General managers also overwhelmingly agreed that Wembanyama is the best defensive player and centre-back in the league, with the poll recording 40% approval.

Last year, 90% of general managers believed Wemby would be the best player in his rookie class within the next five years.

It appears San Antonio’s precious gem is on the right track.