"KD timing": Victor Wembanyama aims to unlock Kevin Durant's quickness in the offseason
Last weekend, Victor Wembanyama wrapped up his first season in the NBA. As he prepares for his offseason training, the No. 1 pick is looking to emulate one of the league's biggest stars.
Recently, Wembanyama sat down with Kevin O'Connor for an exclusive interview. Among the things brought up were players he tried to model his game after. The San Antonio Spurs big man cited Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo as two of his biggest influences.
Later on, Victor Wembanyama opened up more on what he likes about KD's game. He also admitted that he's trying to develop the former MVP's timing on the offensive end.
"He's got that KD timing I call it," Wembanyama said. "On every one of his movements. Once I've noticed it it's become flagrant, but it's so hard. I'm trying to do it, I'm going to work on it this summer."
Seeing that he is also a seven-footer who can score from anywhere, it's not shocking to see Wembanyama try and emulate Durant. The two possess the rare combination of size and grace to move all over the floor. If Wemby is able to add this to his skill set, he'll make life even more difficult for opposing defenses.
Victor Wembanyama lives up to hype in year one
For the entire year leading up to the 2024 NBA draft, there was immense hype around Victor Wembanyama. Standing at 7-foot-4, some regarded as the best prospect the league has seen since LeBron James.
Despite the bar being set so high, Wembanyama managed to live up to expectations. By the end of the season, he solidified himself as argubaly the best young talent in the NBA right now.
Victor Wembanyama played in 71 out of 82 games and posted averages of 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a league-leading 3.6 blocks. In the beginning of the year, the Rookie of the Year race was close. However, Wembanyama managed to become to clear favorite over Chet Holmgren by the end of the season.
Diving deeper into his numbers, Wembanyama really hit his stride in the final months of the year. Following the All-Star break, he averaged 23.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.5 blocks.
One of Wemby's most notable performances came at the end of March against the New York Knicks. The San Antonio Spurs big man erupted for 40 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists in a four-point win.
Seeing how he performed as a rookie, the hype around Wembanyama leading up to the draft was validated. With a full year in the NBA under his belt now, the 20-year-old knows what he needs to improve on in year two. If the Spurs can continue to develop their new young prospect, the sky is the limit in regards to his potential.