Victor Wembanyama just finished a 2025-26 season that saw him become the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, grab a first-team All-NBA nod, and finish third in MVP voting, all while taking the Spurs to the Finals where they lost in five games to New York. If you thought that was an all-time third-year leap for the 22-year-old French superstar, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson is already talking about Wembanyama having a “ton of room to improve in all aspects.” Like, seriously? How much better can this dude get?
The “Puppeteer” Is Ready To Dominate
Last season, Wembanyama was already a force, averaging a career-high 25.0 points, a career-best 11.5 rebounds, and a league-high 3.1 blocks. He basically owned the paint and the perimeter defensively. But Johnson is pushing for even more offensive evolution, saying the goal for Wemby is to “continue to manipulate and dictate the game.” He wants to see him not just score, but make plays for his teammates, force defenses into tough decisions, and pretty much be “puppeteering the game as we see the best players in our game do.” Imagine that. A 7-foot-4 guy controlling every single possession. New teammate Tobias Harris, who signed a two-year, $31 million deal in July, has only been around for a short time but is already gushing about the young star. Harris, going into his 16th season, didn’t hold back, calling Wembanyama the “most talented player in the NBA” because of his size, skillset, and “curiosity for learning.” He even went as far as saying he hasn’t “seen a guy work as hard as he works” in his entire career. That work ethic, Harris pointed out, is what sets the tone for the entire Spurs team.
Rugby, ‘Different Ways To Condition,’ and a Higher Baseline
Despite a shortened offseason after logging nearly 90 games, including 22 in the postseason, Wembanyama sounds more than ready to go. He straight up said his “baseline has increased” and he’s “in a better shape than I could have expected right now.” How’d he do it? He “kept experiencing some different ways to condition.” One of those “different ways” was training with a pro rugby club, Provence Rugby, in Aix-en-Provence, France, after working out with teammate Harrison Barnes and other Spurs players in Paris. Wembanyama called the rugby experience “really good for the vestibular system and new movement patterns and new ways to develop strength.” But it wasn’t just the physical grind. He also talked about the “amazing spirit” of the rugby club, how he was welcomed like he was part of the team, and how inspiring the “kind of team spirit they have over there” was. He’s talking about how much he appreciated the “relationships between teammates and coaches and fans.” This dude is not just getting physically stronger, he’s absorbing championship mentality from everywhere he can.
So, the unanimous DPOY, first-team All-NBA, and MVP finalist is coming into this season feeling physically better than ever and looking to take his offensive game to a whole new level. The league just got put on notice. Get ready for Wembanyama to fully take over.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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