Victor Wembanyama’s first season with the San Antonio Spurs could have been even better if he had a talented point guard at his side. The front office can correct that mistake if they go for All-Star guard Darius Garland in this year’s offseason.
After turning heads around in France, Wembanyama made his way to the NBA as the Spurs’ number one pick in the 2023 Draft. Once he got over the first few weeks in the league, San Antonio’s big man showed everyone what he can really do.
Using his tall frame, impressive ball-handling skills for a center, shot creation, and defensive prowess, Wembanyama was able to dominate stars who have played in the league longer than he has. Over the course of 71 games, the Spurs franchise player averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.6 blocks per contest.
Even though the Spurs were one of the NBA’s worst teams, Wembanyama managed to shine by winning this season’s Rookie of the Year award and was second place to Rudy Gobert in the Defensive Player of the Year race. Unfortunately, he never played with a talented point guard who can set him up for success in the league.
Darius Garland Pairs Up With San Antonio Spurs Rookie Victor Wembanyama In Crazy Trade Idea
Last season, Spurs head coach Greg Popovich tried to transform Jeremy Sochan into a point guard, only for the team to go back to Tre Jones. This offseason, though, they have the chance to get a skilled facilitator to unleash Wembanyama by trading for Cleveland Cavaliers’ Darius Garland, as explained in an article by Chris Herring for ESPN.
“Should the Spurs deal for Garland, they’d be banking on him not only making life easier for Wembanyama, but also on a return to form for the one-time All-Star as he generates more ballhandling opportunities. To his credit, Garland performed far better after returning from a 19-game absence that stemmed from a fractured jaw, hitting 84 triples — 10th best in the NBA — after the All-Star break. He connected on almost 40% of his tries from deep in that span.
Even with Garland playing in just 57 contests, he managed to rank 10th in the league with 58 passes directly into the restricted area. For context, Spurs guard Tre Jones, despite playing in 20 more games than Garland, finished the season with 37 such passes. Garland’s added experience with manipulating defenses as a lead ball handler would help San Antonio,” Herring wrote.
Over the course of 57 games this season, the Cleveland star posted 18.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest. He also shot 37 percent from the field, making him an ideal partner for Wemby when he’s inside the post.
San Antonio has the cap space to make room for Garland in the lineup. If they do acquire him, expect the Spurs to put up great games next season.
For More Great Basketball Content
Follow me on Twitter at @BeatKit22 and follow us @HardwoodHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and professional sports, click here!
