No, Victor Wembanyama Is Not the GOAT Rookie. Not even close...

LeBron was probably the GOAT rookie under 20 (21/5.5/6), but Wemby is not too far behind. Moses Malone was the first teenage prodigy logging 19/15/1.5, compared to Wemby's 21/10/3.5.

 

Of course Magic is the GOAT Rookie and Point Guard. BY FAR in both categories.

 

Stick (Ralph Sampson) averaged 21.0 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 82 games as a rookie during the 1983-84 season, averaging over 30 minutes per game. He was 23 when he was drafted after playing 4 years at Virginia, being selected College Player of the Year 3 times, a very rare feat. Ralph was the same height as Wemby at 7’4”, with a 7’8” wingspan, a few inches less than the Frenchman, but he weighed almost 20 pounds more at 228.

Sampson was the MVP of the All Star game as a rookie. If not for injuries, Ralph would likely have gone down as one of the NBA’s greatest players, despite playing out of position at the 4 after the Rockets won the coin toss that gave them Dream, and he would have won championships playing next to Olajuwon, in my opinion. Fate had other ideas.

 

Yep, Ralph was Wemby before Wemby. He was billed "player of the century" coming out of college. Same height but arms weren't as freakishly long as Wemby's. He could dribble like a guard.

People thought he would be pushed around by NBA bigs because of his slim frame. But he was surprisingly strong and he knew how to leverage with his body, something Wemby doesn't have yet.

 

The Lakers won 47 games the year before they drafted Magic, but more importantly they were loaded with elite, all star quality players like Kareem (obv) Jamaal Wilkes, Norm Nixon.

I don't doubt that if you dropped Wemby into the Celtics or Heat or somethng, he'd be...really good! see eg Chet on the Thunder.

 

It seems like the Spurs are intentionally tanking, running Jeremy Sochan at point most of the year was a tank tactic, similar to us using KPJ at PG. Using a non PG at point, and a lot of suspect ways Pop has been using Wemby, I would have thought Pop would know exactly how to use him. That said, even with those changes, there have been better rookies.

 

Magic shined brightly even among the Lakers stars. He took control of that team and drove them to a championship they wouldn't have won without him. He was dominant in all of their playoff series and, of course, game 6 in Philly closing out the Sixers without Kareem is part of NBA lore.

You put Wemby on the Celtics or Heat and he wouldn't perform like Magic did. He's talented, but wouldn't have the same full-season production and impact. Magic was far more mature as a rookie than Victor is now.

That said, in 3 years, it's quite possible Victor is a better player than Magic ever was. This whole season for the Spurs is dedicated solely to his development and it's going well.

 

Lebron should have lost ROTY to Melo

 

Sam is a WOF.

 

Wemdy is a dork.

 

Not to discount Magic, but in his rookie year, he got to play alongside KAJ.

Put a 'KAJ' level point guard on the Spurs this year, and Wemby's stats would look even better.

 

He think Wemby is better than Embiid before Wemby even played a game.

 

If you replaced Magic and Wemby I really doubt Spurs only get 13 wins.

13 wins is so low, Wemby got beat by Silas and Daishen Nix.

 

You're probably right, but to be fair, it didn't seem like Pop (and by extension, the rest of the team) really knew what to do with Wemby at the start of the season. Teammates rarely gave him the ball, they didn't have an actual PG and Wemby wasn't the one to ever initiate the offense. I think Pop tried to protect Wemby by easing him into the NBA life early on, but he's been producing like an NBA vet as of late.

Hindsight is 20/20, but I think if Wemby was the focal point of the offense and Pop structured this entire season by putting a rocket on Wemby's back from the very start, I think Wemby's stats could have been even better.

Magic Johnson on this Spurs team would have great stats because he'd be the one to initiate the offense from the get-go. No needing to bang in the post waiting for a pass from Sochan or Vassell that would never even come.

 

Well then that just means Wemby isn't the GOAT rookie. Cased closed.

Why are we even talking about this? Just some WOFs dreaming about Wemby every day. I don't deny Wemby has potential to be the best ever, but crowning him right now when his team can't beat Silas and Daishen Nix is just premature. I don't care what kinda BS excuse you have, Wemby has Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Sohan and can't beat Daishen Nix and Stephen Silas with Tate and KJ Marin Jr. GOAT rookie? Top 10 NBA player? Cmon man.

 

Where did this even come from? Wemby is amazing as a rookie and clearly the ROY this year but there's no way he'd be the GOAT rookie cause of how young he is. Some guys came as fully developed men like David Robinson and averaged 24 12 and 4 blocks even as a rookie because he had already grown into his body. No matter how good the 19 year old is and eventually will be, they're still just 19.

 

Lmao there are tons of rookies not being elite who grew to become much more........

Weird assessment .....but yup this thread is solace that he is not the GOAT rookie as if that is a title you guys are proud of......