In 1974, scientists sent into space a radio message encoding some basic facts about Earth and humanity. In the "Arecibo message," we shared with the cosmos some information about the shape and size of human beings, and the composition of human DNA. This year, we should run it back, but with the following video message instead. Any life form out there should know that they are welcome here after receiving this:
Victor Wembanyama logged 52 points, 24 rebounds, and eight blocks in the San Antonio Spurs' thrilling 112-111 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. It was a totalizing, two-way performance. Almost every possession offered a jump scare, as Wembanyama moved through space in ways heretofore unseen, or fused size and skill in ways not thought possible. Shots that would never been at risk of being blocked, at any previous point in NBA history, were in fact blocked. The 7-foot-4 guy blocking them was also beating his defender from the perimeter with a hesitation dribble. No one else mattered.
Single-game plus-minus is rarely so telling: In a one-point victory, San Antonio was plus-23 in Wembanyama's 34 minutes. On a night when the Spurs couldn't hit anything from three—they were 5-of-36 as a team, and Wemby himself was 1-of-8—his paint dominance kept their offense afloat. He was 15-of-20 on two-point attempts, and 19-of-23 from the free throw line. He had just one turnover.
Wembanyama said he had been dealing with a virus in recent days, but said he felt like he "got his legs back" in this game, which saw him establish career highs in points and rebounds, while compiling an unprecedented box score line. The first half was historic on its own: He became the first player in the NBA's play-by-play era to log at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks in one half. As for the full game, Wembanyama is the first to clear the 50-20-5 mark since Bob McAdoo's 52 points, 22 rebounds, and seven blocks in 1974.
Though the big man always been intent on polishing his perimeter game, he can always fall back on being the best rim-finisher in the history of basketball. Even if that style may be tiring, it is virtually unanswerable. The Mavericks trot out massive lineups, surrounding Kyrie Irving with P.J. Washington (6-foot-7), Zaccharie Risacher (6-foot-8), Cooper Flagg (6-foot-9), and Daniel Gafford (6-foot-10) at the same time. All foes looked fun-sized and irrelevant with the Spurs' cryptid romping around.
“I can still do more,” Wembanyama said after the game. “I mean, my shots weren’t falling tonight, and that forces me into a style of play that is exhausting. I can do it. The proof is here. I can do it, but I can be much better if my shots fell.” Count me as a Wemby accelerationist: Let's see him solve the sport. Shouldn't take much longer now.
