SAN ANTONIO — Some might say San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama is already the NBA's top player just after his first pro year.
He has the skillset, height, length, and agility, and coupled with his offense and defense, it's no wonder Wemby is dubbed an "alien."
However, at least not right now, the NBA executives and coaches are not quite ready to anoint Wembanyama as the league's best.
In an anonymous ESPN poll of 18 league coaches, scouts, and executives, Wemby was selected as most likely to be the NBA's best player in as little as five years.
He received more votes (12 of 18) than OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dallas' Luka Doncic, Minnesota's Anthony Edwards, and the league's MVP, Denver's Nikola Jokic.
That is considerable, considering the names he is grouped with.
"Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French phenom coming off a unanimous Rookie of the Year selection and leading his country to a silver medal in the Paris Olympics, has met or exceeded the lofty expectations placed on him since entering the league ahead of the 2023-24 season," ESPN posted.
It is a safe bet that Wemby will be the league's top player in five years or even sooner.
In his rookie campaign, he was named the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year, led the league in blocks (3.6 per game), and finished with 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 71 games.
It will be Wemby's league, and this is just the beginning.
What say you, Spurs fans? Let us know on X at KENS 5 and JeffGSpursKENS5.