If there was one thing that bothered scouts and even certain players before the arrival of Victor Wembanyama, it was his build and his ability to withstand physical shocks. Very tall but also very slender, we thought that the first pick of the last draft will have difficulty resisting colossi like Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid . As a symbol, the latter also scored 70 points against his Spurs.

But apart from that, the former Mets has proven to perform surprisingly well against the best big men in the league and above all, he is regularly available for Gregg Popovich. Contrary to some fears, the V only misses a few matches (53 matches played out of 59) and the visual impression is particularly remarkable, as explained by Bill Simmons and based on the example of another unicorn:

Bill Simmons impressed by Victor Wembanyama’s durability

(Kristaps) Porzingis has moments three times per game where you are convinced his season is about to end, like when he jumps, lands in traffic, hits his knees against someone or they trip and we say to ourselves: “Oh, no! » I thought he would be a little more clumsy, but he is really coordinated in his movements. I do not know how to explain it

It’s almost like a ballet dancer. He kind of knows where to land and where to go. He stays out of trouble more than I thought with this sort of thing.

A ballerina on the floors, this is how the journalist describes the V. And this time, this comparison is particularly well-found…

Indeed, it turns out that before arriving in the NBA, the nugget spent a little time with coach Holger Geschwindner. If this name doesn’t mean anything to you, know that this is the man who modeled Dirk Nowitzki’s game. Among the exercises he gave to the Hall of Famer, there was saxophone practice to work on the dexterity of his hands… as well as classical dance to develop his mobility and footwork.

Wemby is a real sponge when it comes to training, so it’s no surprise that he’s so fluid in his movements. Above all, he learned to move so that his body was always in balance, thus minimizing the risk of injury. Ideal for a long-term career and all of this will reassure San Antonio fans for years to come.

Bill Simmons is impressed with Victor Wembanyama, not just by his production on the court but also because he manages to stay healthy while not being too bothered by his lack of power on certain interiors. It goes to show that the biggest doubts about him were unfounded.