Victor Wembanyama delivered a career-high 52 points, entered the NBA history books, and led the San Antonio Spurs to their sixth straight win. Kendrick Perkins labeled it the “greatest show on earth.” The stat line also included 24 rebounds and 8 blocks, but not everyone seems impressed.
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Skip Bayless rated the performance six out of ten during his appearance on First Take. His co-host Stephen A. Smith was surprised and tried to remind him about the historic stat line. Yet there was criticism regarding Wemby’s outing against the Mavericks.
“All right. Question, Mr. Smith. What was the degree of difficulty last night against the Dallas Mavericks? Scale of 1 to 10? It was a one,” Bayless began on First Take. “Who was their center last night for the Dallas Mavericks? It was Daniel Gafford. He is all of six feet ten inches tall. And that’s what it says on the sheet, but I don’t think he is 6’10”. He doesn’t play 6’10”. To me, that means he’s like at least 7 in shorter than Victor Wembanyama, the alien. Am I right about that? The second tallest is Dallas Maverick, Cooper Flag, at 6’9″. They had no chance against this man.
“His 7 baskets in the first half were all dunks. He shot a career-high 23 free throws, and to his credit, he made 19 of them because they couldn’t contest him in the paint or in the restricted area. And yet and still, what happened in the second half, Mr. Smith?”
Bayless recounted the scenario that the Mavs were able to come back from the 19-point deficit. In fact, they blew the Spurs 60-44 in the second half. The analyst was also upset that Victor Wembanyama, down the stretch, missed 3 crucial free throws. Despite the career-high scoring, Skip also critiqued the French phenom’s three-point shooting on Wednesday, where he shot just 1 for 8.
He concluded it with, “That’s my biggest issue with him. They (Spurs) go as he goes from 3. How can you defend any of what I just threw out on this table?”
Bayless’s frustration isn’t just about a missed stat. It hits at the heart of San Antonio’s entire offensive system. When Wembanyama hits from distance, he drags opposing centers out of the paint, opening up wide driving lanes for his teammates. But when his three-pointer isn’t falling, defenses sag off him, clog the key, and force the Spurs into a grinding, heavy-contact game inside.
In fact, the criticism was not limited to yesterday’s performance. Victor Wembanyama even struggled on opening night against the OKC Thunder. The reigning DPOY dropped just 12 points on 1-13 shooting and missed all four of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Since that game, he averaged 31.2 points in the next five games. That’s why he was named Player of the Week in Week 2. Even these performances were not enough, as Skip Bayless highlighted another ordinary night of Victor Wembanyama.
Before scoring a career high against the Mavs, Wemby scored just 12 points and had 11 rebounds. The 22-year-old was 5 of 15 from the floor and 0 of 5 from three. Currently, the French phenom is averaging career-high numbers for FG attempted, rebounds, blocks, steals, and points.
But his shooting numbers have certainly been at a career low (24%). And Victor Wembanyama addressed the criticism after the game. “I can still do more,” he said. “I mean, my shots weren’t falling tonight, and that forces me into a style of play that is exhausting. I can do it. The proof is here. I can do it, but I can be much better if my shots fell.”
Wemby even revealed that he was sick.“I haven’t been feeling great lately. I’ve been sick for a while, and today I felt like I got my legs back. So it should be more like this more often.”
After just 12 points against the Jazz, the Spurs star began dominating from the tip-off. He would score eight of San Antonio’s first 10 points and ended the first frame with 15 points. By halftime, he accumulated 29 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks. His teammate even made a Wilt Chamberlain comparison.
“He’s basically Wilt,” Dylan Harper joked post-game. “His mindset … every game is dominate, dominate, dominate. Unlike anyone else I’ve seen. The way he prepares, takes care of his body is one of one.”
In fact, Wemby became the only player in NBA history with 50 points, 20 rebounds, and eight blocks in a game. Despite making history and having a career-high shooting performance, some critics remain unimpressed.