The San Antonio Spurs dropped their 18th game in a row on Wednesday night, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers by a score of 122-119. They kept things close in the end, overcoming a slow start to the game, but ultimately, their losing streak continued. They have struggled to find their footing after a promising 3-2 start.
Despite their struggles, however, the presence of Victor Wembanyama has brought hope to San Antonio. The 19-year-old Frenchman is the clear future of the franchise, and while his talent hasn’t yet translated to winning, it’s clearly there. And on top of that, he plays hard all the time, which is extremely important.
At least, that’s the thought process of Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, who praised Wembanyama’s ability to make big plays for the Spurs all night long.
“[Wembanyama] doesn’t stop competing,” Ham said via ESPN. “When the game was hanging in the balance, he made some big plays for them.”
Wembamyama’s clutch genes were highlighted by a pair of triples with under two minutes to play that kept the Spurs in the game. Again, though, it wasn’t enough to bring home the win.
The rookie finished the game with 30 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, three steals, and six blocks while shooting 11-of-21 from the floor and 3-of-5 from behind the three-point line. An absolutely ridiculous statline.
It may not be this year, but it’s only a matter of time before Wembanyama and the Spurs start figuring it out. And once that happens, they could be a scary force in this league with him at the helm.
