Spurs Wembanyama is officially on pace to set an unprecedented NBA record

Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs is nicknamed "The Alien," given that he is unlike any player in NBA history. That is especially true of him now that he is on pace to do something that no one in the league's 77-year history has ever done before.

He is currently averaging 3.2 made three-pointers per game as well as 3.4 blocks per game. If both numbers were to hold up, he would become the first player ever to average at least three blocks per game as well as three made threes.

Averaging three blocks a game is impressive in its own right considering how rarely that's happened post-2000s, but also drilling several threes per game is a different animal entirely. While stretch centers have been a thing for years now, he represents the evolution of the position with him being an elite rim protector who can also get hot from outside and punish teams 25 feet away from the rim.

Wembanyama's shooting potential has mostly always been theoretical, but he has taken major strides this season. He is on pace to hit more than 220 threes, which would shatter the Spurs franchise record, and he is also hitting better than 85% of his three throws, which puts him in the upper echelon of NBA players. 

 San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is emerging as the ultimate stretch five.

Having a player like Wembanyama is like having a cheat code. On defense, teams don't dare challenge him at the rim, and even when they do, there is a great chance that they will get blocked or force up a hurried shot. With him playing 32 minutes per game, that means for a large chunk of games, teams are forced to settle for jumpers. 

Offensively, teams will have to worry about his ability to knock down threes, especially with him already being solid at pull-ups and step-backs. Just recently he hit a go-ahead three against the New Orleans Pelicans and then sealed the deal by knocking down all four of his free throws late.

With this Spurs spending this season developing him as a shooting threat from outside, once he puts on more size, he will soon also be able to bang in the post as well as space the floor. He has also shown significant promise there with him being able to face up and take long strides to the basket and finish over his defender.

His size and passing skill will soon make it impossible to double-team him in those situations. Ultimately, Wembanyama is on pace to do something never seen before, and his elite shot-blocking and emerging 3-point shooting mean that the sky is the limit for him.