During an interview with AFP, Nicolas Batum was able to say all the good things he thought of Victor Wembanyama, author of a big start to the match with the San Antonio Spurs.
At 36, Nicolas Batum left for at least one season with the Los Angeles Clippers. While he does not yet know whether or not he will want to continue subsequently, the Frenchman is also a privileged spectator of the rise to power of Victor Wembanyama with the San Antonio Spurs. Indeed, returning from injury, the latter made a strong impression during the first five games for his franchise this season, before experiencing a more complicated match on Sunday against the Phoenix Suns.
“He has passed a milestone again, like every year for four or five years. (…) He is number 1 in defense and among the top 10 offensively, so that necessarily puts him in the top 5,”
admitted Batum about his young compatriot, with whom he won the silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, during an interview with AFP. Rave words which prove that the number 1 in the 2023 draft is now one of the best players in the NBA.
With Wembanyama, “the Spurs are on the right path”
“Two takes? It’s good for him, there are steps that he must learn, he will face special game plans, he must take a new course, be careful, regain patience, reinvent himself in quotes. He is a player who is still young in his apprenticeship, even if he is already very strong, so it is a good start to the season, but it is up to him to continue to be even stronger”said Batum, who saw “Wemby” struggle recently against the Suns.
However, the Clippers player is not worried that much. “Superstars find a way to get around that, otherwise they wouldn’t exist,” he explained in particular. For him, the Spurs collective “must also adapt” what the defenses put in place to hinder Wembanyama. Batum goes even further and imagines a bright future for the Spurs. “They are on the right path. I think they’re similar to Oklahoma City three years ago,” he confided.
