'He scared us': Wembanyama's career night impressed EuroLeague veterans / News - Basketnews.com

"Who's that monster?" Zalgiris fans were stunned watching the future first NBA draft pick.

Player of the Game EFF 26 Elie Okobo Points 21 Accuracy 7-13 Rebounds 4 Assists 5

18-year-old French unicorn Victor Wembanyama impressed not only by his size but career night as well.

At the beginning of the third quarter, 2.20 m tall, Wembanyama was on his highest-scoring EuroLeague game.

In total, ASVEL Villeurbanne's prospect left the Zalgirio arena with six new EuroLeague career-highs in points (14), blocks (5), steals (2), assists (2), minutes (29), and performance index rating (23).

For the eighth game in a row, Wembanyama started in Kaunas and played crucial minutes.

Although he scored most points in the first half (10), Wembanyama boosted ASVEL on crunch time.

After an offensive rebound, his tough off-balance jumper cooled off hot Zalgiris and gave ASVEL a 62-60 lead. Since then, Tony Parker's club never looked back and won in Kaunas 72-68.

"I trust him at the end of the games. He's big for us," ASVEL's head coach TJ Parker said after the game.

Wembanyama was making an impact from the jump ball.

One of the most experienced EuroLeague guards, Janis Strelnieks, met him on the switch. He tried to send the ball to the low post but couldn't beat Wembanyama's 239 cm wingspan.

Eight-year EuroLeague veteran Edgaras Ulanovas tried to beat him one-on-one with a step-back three-pointer but had no chance and got blocked.

"He has an amazing body and very promising physical abilities," Ulanovas, the top scorer of Zalgiris (15 PTS), recalled. "Although his game reading is still not on the highest level yet, it's not easy in the EuroLeague for anybody."

ASVEL's roster suddenly became one of the most viewed things on the BasketNews website. Fans wanted to check the height category as soon as TJ Parker sent Youssoupha Fall on the floor next to Wembanyama.

Victor Wembanyama

MIN:16.87PTS:5.55 (36.78%)REB:3.73As:0.55ST:0.45BL:1.91TO:1GM:11ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

Fall (2.21 m) and Wembanyama (2.20 m) formed one of the highest EuroLeague frontlines ever.

It was not the first time TJ Parker used both towers on the floor. But still, it looked outstanding.

"We have so many players, and it's tough to play them together," Parker explained such a decision. "I like to play Victor at the five position and James Gist at the four, so Wembanyama could play as a five on defense. He's a really good rim protector."

"Fall is also important at rim protection but together… Of course, sometimes you let them play together, but I have so many players, so I try to match different players with different guys," Parker concluded.

It was exciting to watch every time anybody from Zalgiris tried to score under the rim. It looked like a battle with dragons from the action movies.

But it was not exciting for Zalgiris players at all.

"We lacked cool heads. We ran like the headless horsemen. We tried to push through their bigs, but the ball was not moving," Ulanovas complained.

Wembanyama blocked one shot after another.

At first, a former NBA big Joffrey Lauvergne didn't stand a chance with his hook shot against Wembanyama.

Once Wembanyama blocked two shots in one possession. At first, it was another hook shot try by Ulanovas. Later, Wembanyama managed to stop the floater of one of the most athletic EuroLeague bigs Josh Nebo.

Three Zalgiris centers, Lauvergne, Nebo and Marek Blazevic, combined for total 6 points.

"We tried everything against them. In the end, we found a rhythm with two forwards, Tyler Cavanaugh and Paulius Jankunas. But before we had problems with their switching defense," Zalgiris head coach Jure Zdovc said. "It was difficult to find the big guy because we didn't move the ball. We tried to pass from the man with Wembanyama, and it was very difficult."

Credit BNS

On the other end, Wembanyama was determined to score until the end.

He put Tyler Cavanaugh on the poster in a fast break. It looked so easy for him, like that pre-game between the legs dunk during the warmup.

He also beat Zalgiris bigs on a drive, showing his soft touch around the rim, finishing both with right and left hands.

Once Wembanyama grabbed the offensive rebound around three Zalgiris bigs and there down a hammer dunk over Nebo.

"That was the first time I saw this young man. Incredible size. The way he moves his body and does everything so easily at such age… You can clearly see huge talent. I was impressed with his performance," the all-time EuroLeague leader in games played, Paulius Jankunas, said.

"He's still a child. He still plays from his size. But as soon as he gets more muscles and more experience, I think he'll be an incredible player," Jankunas added.

Zalgiris coach Jure Zdovc worked in France last year. He met Wembanyama at his previous team, Nanterre.

"He can also punish with 3-pointers," Zdovc reminded, checking the box score, where Wembanyama didn't shoot a single three-pointer for the second time this season.

"He didn't score back to the basket or one on one. He collected points from nothing. We concentrated more on other players, like Elie Okobo and Chris Jones," Zdovc said.

"But Wembanyama goes up and down, just like any other young players. I also spoke with my colleague (TJ Parker). He sees him more as a five. He's a young prospect, but he has amazing feeling for basketball and technique for his size," Zdovc concluded.

Wembanyama tied for the second-best +/-. For the fourth game in a row, he logged at least 20 minutes.

In his rookie EuroLeague season, Wembanyama averages 5.5 points (2FG 35.4%; 3FG 23.1%), 3.7 rebounds (1.4 OFF), 1.9 blocks, and 5.2 PIR in 17 minutes.

In the French league, Wembanyama averages 6.8 points (2FG 56.8%; 3FG: 12.9%), 4.6 rebounds (1 OFF), 1.5 blocks, and 7.7 PIR in 17 minutes.

He missed almost two months of action due to a shoulder injury between December and February. But when he was healthy, TJ Parker liked what he saw.

"It's a long time from now," Parker said on the upcoming NBA Draft in 2023, where ESPN projects him as the No. 1 pick. "He still has a year and a half left. Most important for me and him is to stay healthy."

"With the type of body he has, he had difficulties at the start of the season. He couldn't practice, so it was difficult for him to find his rhythm. But now he's been working for a month or two and gets better and better," he added.

"He listens, and he wants to get better," Parker said on Wembanyama. "It's not easy for him because he has that kind of body. He has to get stronger. But he works hard every day, so he deserves his minutes."

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