It was going to happen. Once the San Antonio Spurs received the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, French big man Victor Wembanyama was going to be the pick.
That became official as the draft got going inside Barclays Center in New York City Thursday evening. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver took to the podium to announce that San Antonio had selected the the 7-foot-3 big man to be their next franchise cornerstone.
Still under the leadership of the legendary Gregg Popovich, San Antonio won all of 22 games a season ago. It was the team’s worst record since all the way back in 1996-97. That June saw the San Antonio Spurs select Tim Duncan No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft. They ended up winning 56 games the following season. Can San Antonio expect the same type of immediate success with Wembanyama? Those around the NBA are not too sure.
“They’re going to have a few years to figure it out and get it right because the team is so young,” an opposing NBA head coach told Sportsnaut about the Spurs selecting Victor Wembanyama. “They’re basically starting from scratch. Wemby is going to be a great talent. But it’s not going to happen immediately. People are going to have patience with him and the process.”
The good news for San Antonio is that it now has a franchise cornerstone to call its own. The team will also boast a ton of cap room once NBA free agency opens in July.