There was an insane level of hype and excitement that built up around the 7’ 5” big man leading up to the 2023 NBA Draft, which is understandable considering the elite, guard-like skill set he has at that size. Getting drafted, however, was the easy part. Now the French star has to actually get out on the court and compete against the best of the best.
With the magnitude of the expectations for Wembanyama, the pressure will come early and often—and only continue to build if he can’t hack it. Of course, no one’s rooting against the 19-year-old, but there’s serious cause for concern that he’ll go belly up.
Check out these 8 reasons why Victor Wembanyama will be the biggest BUST of all-time.
Injuries
Okay… Duh. Injuries are and will always be a concern for Victor. Yes, this is one that could be applied to any prospect, but at his height and with his wiry build there is no denying he’s at an increased risk.
Plus, even when he is healthy, fans are going to have the Joel Embiid experience with Victor, where every time he goes down, there will be a crushing fear that he’s out with a serious injury.
Athleticism of the NBA
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Victor Wembanyama is a freak athlete, yes. And there are aspects of his game that will standout at the NBA-level no matter what. But he is going to be facing a different class of player in the NBA than he did during his time playing internationally.
He will still get his blocks and buckets to some degree, but neither will come as easily as they have before and he will need to ultimately adapt to the level of competition around him.
Strength
After watching Kenny Lofton Jr. take Wemby’s lunch money, the 19-year-old’s strength has been called further into question. He will definitely need to pack on a few pounds to keep from getting bullied by the physical freaks of the NBA and ultimately getting slapped with the bust label.
Decision-Making
This one should take care of itself as he matures, but the French star has shown the propensity for getting a little cute with his game from time to time. He’ll need to dial back the flashy passes that turn into turnovers and the poor shot selection that occasionally pokes his head back to hack it in the NBA
Shooting
While Wembanyama has both the technique and confidence to be a good shooter in the NBA, his actual output as a pro hasn’t been awe-inspiring.
There are a lot of other aspects to his game that make him a fascinating prospect, but having a legit jumper at his size might be top of the list. Without that he’ll be a lot more predictable and thus, easier for opposing defenses to scheme for and stop—significantly increasing the risk that he goes bust.
Conditioning
Granted, it is just summer league, but Victor has already looked pretty gassed after playing 54 minutes across two games in Vegas. For him to reach the lofty expectations set for him, he will need to ratchet up the conditioning.
You can’t become an all-time great if you can’t play into the fourth quarter.
Target on his Back
When a new player breaks into the league with this level of hype—he immediately becomes a measuring stick for the rest of the league. Every big man in the NBA will want a piece of Victor and they’ll give him everything they’ve got, night in and night out. It is human nature. If he can’t rise to the level of competition, this could have a serious impact on his development and put his career as a whole at risk.
Historical Precedent
Now, it isn’t necessarily fair to project other players’ shortcomings onto Wembanyama’s future career, but it would be foolish to completely dismiss the historical sample we have on how “unicorn” type players generally fair in the NBA.
We don’t have to go deep into the annals of time for this one either. Think about someone like Kristaps Porzingis—or Bol Bol. Obviously, both players are legitimate NBA-level guys, but neither has come close to matching the expectations set for them heading into the league. Wemby could easily find himself fitting that mold.
