NBA: Year Two for Wembanyama Aims for Playoffs with Chris Paul’s Reinforcement
In the heart of the San Antonio Spurs’ project, Victor Wembanyama has set his sights on reaching the playoffs in his second NBA season, which kicks off on Tuesday in Dallas, aided by the experienced Chris Paul.
The French giant (7 feet 4 inches), a silver medalist at the Olympics this summer with France and destined to dominate the NBA in the future, had an impressive individual first season (rookie of the year, NBA’s top shot blocker, averaging 21.4 points) despite the Spurs’ rough play that kept them at the bottom of the standings (14th out of 15 in the West, with 22 wins and 60 losses).
“We want to be in a position of being a winning team, a playoff team. It’s a culture that must be established. Reaching the playoffs is the minimum goal,” declared “Wemby” at the beginning of October, as the Spurs have not made the postseason since 2019.
Along with the natural progression of their young roster, San Antonio accelerated their rebuilding process this summer by acquiring two experienced players: forward Harrison Barnes (32 years old, 2015 champion with the Golden State Warriors), and especially point guard Chris Paul, an NBA star and the new mentor for the young Texans.
At 39 years old, in his 20th season in the North American professional league, “CP3,” a twelve-time All-Star, is expected to bring his experience and playmaking skills (3rd in NBA history for assists) to a team that struggled to deliver the ball effectively to Wembanyama last season.
During the preseason, an alley-oop pass from Paul to a dunk by “Wemby” generated excitement among fans for this new partnership, although Chris Paul cautioned that San Antonio wouldn’t replicate the “Lob City” success of the Los Angeles Clippers when he connected with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
“He’s a player I watched a lot as a child. We know it’s going to work well with us; we want him to be himself to teach us things,” commented Wembanyama about Chris Paul. “He has this desire to teach within him.”
During the preparation matches, scenes of discussions on the bench between the two players became more frequent.
“What I can bring most valuable to this team is my competitive instinct and composure in crucial moments,” explained CP3. “Playing hard is a talent but not enough. I can help +Vic+ settle in even more. After all the expectations he had as a rookie, I can aid his progression.”
“I am happy and eager, like everyone, to have the opportunity to play with him.”
For the legendary coach Gregg Popovich, starting his 29th season with the Spurs, Chris Paul will be a “great mentor for our young players, even for Victor (Wembanyama), despite all his talent.”
Wembanyama, who mentioned gaining muscle mass in the offseason and working on some moves with former player Jamal Crawford, saw his third-year option for the 2025-2026 season activated by the Spurs, who can automatically extend it for one final season in 2026-2027.
In addition to Chris Paul, San Antonio welcomed another point guard with the arrival of rookie Stephon Castle, drafted in the 5th position in June. Athletic and showcasing defensive skills and attacking the rim during the preseason, Castle (19 years old) adds offensive threats around “Wemby.”