SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama dazzled on the court in his preseason debut versus the Thunder Monday night, living up to the massive hype... at least for one game.
He finished with 20 points in just 19 minutes while logging five rebounds, two steals and a block. He showed off just how versatile a player he is, and how unstoppable he can potentially be, while connecting on 3-point shots, getting out on the fastbreak and flashing defensive prowess, as well as his sheer speed and length.
And it isn't a surprise that the 19-year-old has a big presence on NBA.com's annual General Manager survey, in which Wemby was listed among the best in several categories as the league gears up for the start of the regular season.
Wembanyama ranked second, with 23% of the vote, among GMs answering which player they would pick to start a franchise today.
He also tied for fourth with 7% of the votes for the player acquisition set to make the biggest impact.
And it goes without saying he also was the hands-down pick among GMs for the Rookie of the Year Award, garnering a massive 50% of votes. He also received 90% of GM votes when it comes to the rookie they believe will have the biggest impact in five years.
Not bad for a rookie who has yet to play an NBA regular season game.
However, Wembanyama wasn't the only Spur to pick up votes. Gregg Popovich received 7% of GM votes for the best coach in the league, 13% for the best motivator and some votes for best coach to make in-game adjustments.
Wembanyama and the Spurs will resume preseason play versus the Heat in San Antonio on Friday.
Let us know what you think about this survey on Twitter at @KENS5, and at @JeffGSpursKENS5.