Victor Wembanyama spent the summer in the weight room, and the results are visible. The San Antonio Spurs star reported to voluntary workouts this week having added roughly 15 pounds of muscle over the offseason, and the third-year phenom is now checking in at approximately 245 pounds on his 7-foot-4 frame.
Wembanyama’s second season was cut short by the deep vein thrombosis diagnosis that ended his year in February. He has been fully cleared since the summer and used the offseason to focus on the physical development that most 21-year-olds struggle to complete in-season.
Head coach Mitch Johnson said Wembanyama looks like a completely different physical presence. The extra weight has not slowed him down at all, according to Johnson, and the improved core strength is already showing up in his ability to absorb contact in the paint.
The Spurs made major roster moves this summer to build around Wembanyama’s peak years. San Antonio traded for De’Aaron Fox in a midseason move that stuck last year, drafted point guard Dylan Harper with a top-three pick, and added veteran wing Harrison Barnes on a two-year deal.
The Fox and Wembanyama pairing is going to be a nightmare for opposing defenses. Fox is one of the fastest guards in the league. Wembanyama is one of the highest-usage bigs. The pick-and-roll between them alone should generate 20 points a game.
Wembanyama is the early favorite to win the MVP award this season, according to most oddsmakers. He was on pace for the award last year when the DVT diagnosis hit, and everyone around the league remembers what those first three months looked like. A healthy full season would put him in the Nikola Jokic conversation immediately.
The Spurs are expected to be a fringe playoff team in a stacked Western Conference. Vegas has the over-under at 44.5 wins, which would represent a massive leap from last year’s finish. If Wembanyama plays 75 games, San Antonio could push into the top six of the West.
The bigger picture is even more exciting. Wembanyama is 21. Harper is 19. The Spurs have future first-round picks and cap flexibility for the next three summers. This is the beginning of a decade-long window that could produce multiple championships.
Camp opens in late September. Everyone in the league will be watching the Spurs. Wembanyama is what basketball looks like when the sport keeps evolving, and this year could be the season he finally puts it all together.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.