Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren offer first glimpse of what could become NBA’s next great rivalry

Every NBA fan was once so pumped for the preseason debut of Victor Wembanyama on Monday that it shouldn’t have mattered who he was once enjoying towards. The undeniable fact that Chet Holmgren was once at the opposing facet made it about as intriguing a matchup because the the preseason can offer. 

It did not disappoint. 

In the first part on my own, Holmgren (21) and Wembanyama (18) mixed for 39 issues on 14-of-19 taking pictures. They each hit a couple of 3-pointers. They each completed across the rim; Wembanyama with some unbelievable grace for a person his dimension, and Holmgren, slight as he’s, with reliable power via touch. They each made primary affects defensively. 

Check out this series underneath, which Wembanyama starts by means of digging right down to the nail from the 3-point line (absurd period) and knocking the ball free ahead of completing a run-out dunk, adopted by means of Holmgren at the different finish with a get-back and-one via touch. 

Here they fit each and every different once more, each on triples.

Next up: Wembanyama taking Holmgren off the dribble with a surprising, through-the-legs exchange of path ahead of completing all over him. 

This next one is a wowza. Holmgren involves assist on the rim most effective to observe Wembanyama pass up-and-under for a lefty scoop kiss that is unnecessary coming off the fingertips of a person this tall. 

Meanwhile, Holmgren did all of it on each ends; scoring within the paint on tricky put-backs and alley-oops, self-created drives and cuts, whilst, as discussed, dialing in from deep two times. There’s no longer a lot lacking from this reel. 

It’s going to take a couple of years to get there, however this matchup has the makings of the next great NBA rivalry; two fashionable, defensively dominant bigs running with elite dimension and talent on each ends for what could be perennial contenders in San Antonio and Oklahoma City for the next decade plus. 

Wemby on my own places the Spurs on a observe of rivalry faster quite than later. The Thunder may well be within the combine to make actual playoff noise once this season. And those two are obviously mindful of one any other in an anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better type of manner. 

The NBA is complete of great gamers. In nearly each sport there are no less than two of them going face to face. But this matchup feels adore it could become greater than that. The buzz of those two is already beginning at a degree 10 and it is just the preseason. Indeed, ESPN’s Brian Windhost reported that over 20 scouts had been in attendance on Monday, probably the most he is ever observed for a preseason game. 

Wembanyama and Holmgren could really well become the 2 highest defenders of their technology, and with such identical skillsets at the offensive finish, this has the makings of a vintage duel that could become one of the league’s true tentpole points of interest transferring ahead.