Victor Wembanyama’s NBA performances in April matched those of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid for the first time.
The San Antonio Spurs’ season ended in disappointment, as they finished 22-60 and missed the playoffs.
However, Wembanyama, a Frenchman of Congolese origin who is the obvious favourite to win Rookie of the Year and a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, exceeded the lofty expectations of a 7-foot-4 generational potential.
Wembanyama improved month after month as the season continued. Cameroon-born Embiid remains Africa’s best homegrown star in the NBA, with Greek-Nigerian star Antetokounmpo close behind as Africa’s most popular hooper, but during the final few weeks of the season, Wemby hinted that within the next year or two, he could be ready to surpass even these two NBA MVPs as the best player of African descent in the league — if not the best overall.
Wemby leads the way for Africa in April. Wembanyama delivered some of his most impressive defensive shifts during his five games in April, maybe motivated by a desire to win the Defensive MVP award.
He also improved his offensive performance, with monthly league averages of 25.0 points per game, 12.8 rebounds per game, 6.8 assists per game, and 5.6 blocks per game.
In terms of April output, he is among the league’s top performers.
Wembanyama scored 17 points in less than three minutes to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a comeback against the Denver Nuggets, making it one of the most memorable moments of the month and season.
