French sensation Victor Wembanyama outrightly won the Rookie of the Year, leading all rookies in points (21.4), rebounds (10.6), and the league in blocks (3.9). He also became just the second player in NBA history to finish a season with at least 200 blocks and 100 made three-pointers. Considering the hype that surrounded him from the moment he was drafted, many wondered how he’d handle the pressure.
He handled it like a seasoned pro.
Ready stars
Wemby was the real deal from day one. In plain impact on both sides of the ball, few players pulled off more highlight-reel-worthy plays, enough to get announcers, like the legendary Mike Breen hollering in awe.
“There’s always another great player that’s going to come along,” voiced the iconic announcer. “What I see in the differences from when I first started doing games is that often rookies came in and felt like rookies and shot like that… These young players now, they are different. They come in confident and cocky in a good way.”
The game has come a long way, affecting the new generation of NBA stars. Years ago, teams were tossing up only a fraction of the 3-pointers they are now. This decade, the average team is firing up 34.7 three-pointers. But it’s not just the offense that’s evolved. Teams don’t rely on big men to dominate the paint like they used to, and with more versatile, athletic players on the floor, defense has become free-for-all.
Point guards and shooting guards defend centers; centers run the floor — positionless basketball is the new norm, and players have rapidly evolved to meet a new standard.
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Building talents with purpose
Today's rookies and young players are becoming franchise cornerstones almost right out of the gate. Take Wembanyama, for instance. The 7'4" Frenchman was picked first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. Not only did he win the Rookie of the Year award, but he also led the entire league in blocks.
Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 pick in 2022, also won Rookie of the Year and is already the focal point for an emerging Orlando Magic squad.
And it's not just those two. LaMelo Ball and Ja Morant wasted no time in becoming the faces of their franchises. Then there’s Luka Doncic , the Slovenian superstar, who, in just his sixth season, led the league in scoring with an incredible 33.9 points per game.
“It’s like, ‘I’m not paying my dues; I’m ready to dominate right now,’” Breen said of today’s stars.
The NBA commentator isn’t exactly saying that today’s players are better than the legends from back in the day. The big difference, though, is that back then, players had to prove themselves individually over time to reach superstar status. Take Michael Jordan , for example. He wasn’t handed the mantle because of his rookie numbers; he had to win six NBA championships and rack up ten scoring titles to cement his legacy as one of the greatest.
Nowadays, stars can be considered franchise leaders almost immediately, even when their teams aren’t winning. Wemby, for instance, is seen as the face of the San Antonio Spurs, despite them finishing second from the bottom in the Western Conference.
The responsibility falls on these young stars much earlier, and that kind of pressure makes them “more ready” for the spotlight from the get-go. In today’s NBA, it doesn’t matter if you’re a rookie; you could find yourself carrying the weight of a franchise from the moment when you hear your name called on draft night.
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