This is what it’s all about. Nothing beats the excitement of a new season beginning. The possibilities are endless and optimism abounds. And then you get the first pick in your fantasy basketball draft. Now, you have the league at your fingertips. In this situation, you only have one choice for the 2024-25 season. That choice is to draft Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick. Now, let’s take a look at why as we work our way through the reasons.
The Case for Drafting Victor Wembanyama at #1
San Antonio Maintained the Status Quo, Mostly
More on this later, but for the most part, the Spurs’ roster remains unchanged from a year ago. There is no doubt that Wembanyama is the focal point of the Spurs. Everything they do is focused on their superstar, and the offense revolves around the second-year player. The good news though, is that San Antonio’s core of young players is developing and growing while gaining chemistry and a comfort level with one another.
Devin Vassell averaged 19.5 points per game as a secondary scoring option, but his start to the season will be delayed. Keldon Johnson and his 15.7 points per game off the bench will augment the second unit. The supporting cast will help Wembanyama but they won’t hinder any aspects of his production either.
Also read, The Case Against Drafting Victor Wembanyama at #1
Favorable Eligibility
When building your roster, finding a center is often the most difficult part. When you factor in the statistical liabilities of the position, things get even more difficult to build a balanced team. The fact that the best player in fantasy is eligible at center only makes things that much better. When you factor in that you can use him at forward as well, it only enhances things. In most situations, Wembanyama will be used at center, but having the added flexibility never hurts.
Wembanyama Made 1.8 Three-Pointers per Game
The game has changed in recent years, and there is a greater emphasis on three-point shooting. This is true at all positions, but center is always going to be the most difficult one. We don’t have to worry about that here, as three-point shooting is a large part of Wembanyama’s game. Last year he made 1.8 three-pointers per game and that success should continue this season.
We Can’t Ignore the Blocks
With Wembanyama, it’s pretty difficult not to build a balanced squad. He contributes across all categories, after all that’s why we are taking him first overall, but he also stands out in most areas. Last season, Wembanyama blocked 3.6 shots per game, and that is truly a great start to your roster build. This avoids the need to chase blocked shots throughout your draft; although you will need more.
He’s Pretty Good at the Free Throw Line
Call me a traditionalist, but free throw shooting has become a lost art. Sometimes, the bigger a player is, the more challenging things are for them from the charity stripe. The good news here is that Wembanyama is far from a liability. Last season, as a rookie, he made 79.6% of his free throw attempts, and that gives us a lot to like.
It Was Quite the Rookie Season
Talk about living up to expectations. In fact, Wembanyama went above and beyond that. The first overall pick truly exceeded expectations last season, but he was also quite efficient. The Spurs did a great job of managing both expectations and Wembanyama’s workload as he averaged just 29.7 minutes per game. In 71 games, he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. All you have to do is add five to six, at a minimum, minutes per game, and it’s easy to imagine even greater success and more prolific numbers.
He Gets to Play With Chris Paul
While the Spurs kept their roster pretty much unchanged from last year, there was one new addition. All San Antonio did was add a future Hall of Famer at point guard to help their superstar. The impacts of playing with Paul were already on display in the preseason from Wembanyama. This is something we will continue to see in the regular season as Paul will only continue to make Wembanyama better.
The Final 8 Games of 2024
We’ve already talked about how efficient Wembanyama was last season and how well he performed. In the last eight games of the season, we got a great sneak peak as to what he is capable of. He truly took a step forward and averaged 27 points, 12.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4.6 blocks, and 2.9 three-pointers per game. It’s very easy to let the mind wander here, but one thing is clear; we have yet to see the best of Wembanyama. We received a look at that towards the end of last season, and things will only go up from here. Lock down that upside, along with the top-level performance, with the first pick of the draft.