San Antonio Spurs took Victor Wembanyama No. 1 overall in the 2023 NBA draft hoping he would revitalize a once-elite franchise. The rookie provided dozens of encouraging moments, but one lowlight also lives on.
Wembanyama was on the business end of a dunk by the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis. Not just any dunk, but one worthy of posterization.
TJD PUT WEMBY ON A POSTER 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/FOlJAjhD2B
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 12, 2024
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The second-year centers meet for the first time since the dunk seen around the world on Saturday when the Warriors (12-3) face the Spurs (8-8) at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PT, with NBC Sports Bay Area televising the game.
Wembanyama has missed San Antonio’s last three games with a right knee contusion, but the 7-foot-4 Frenchman was upgraded from questionable to probable late Saturday morning and is expected to play.
Circumstances have changed considerably for Jackson-Davis since last March 11, when he ignored a six-inch height disadvantage and threw down a wicked left-handed jam over Wemby. TJD had started only four NBA games at that time and came off the bench to produce that highlight. He is now a fixture in Golden State’s starting lineup.
Jackson-Davis has started all 15 games and is averaging 8.5 points and 5.3 rebounds while playing only 17.3 minutes per game. The only other Warrior to start every game is Draymond Green, who starts at power forward but also takes shifts at center, as does Kevon Looney.
Golden State Warriors
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
While TJD adjusts to a slightly different role – more screening, passing and rim running – his numbers have climbed over the past couple of games, averaging 11.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 20.2 minutes.
Wembanyama, who won the Rookie of the Year award with a unanimous vote, also has altered his game. His scoring is slightly up (22.7 points per game to 21.4) and his assists are down slightly (2.8 to 3.9), but the biggest difference is his shot selection.
Nearly half of Wemby’s shots are fired from beyond the arc, as his 8.6 3-point attempts per game rank 13th in the NBA. For comparison’s sake, Stephen Curry is averaging 9.1.
Might Wembanyama’s perimeter game be used to pull Jackson-Davis out of the paint? That could be a ploy used by the Spurs, who with legendary coach Gregg Popovich on leave of absence will be coached by assistant Mitch Johnson, a former Stanford point guard.
The Warriors, however, probably prefer Wemby to launch away. He’s shooting 33.9 percent from distance.
But if Wembanyama is out for revenge against TJD, he’ll make an exception. He’ll attack the rim in pursuit of his own poster.