The day after participating in Cooper Flagg's breakthrough game, Toronto Raptors Travel 273 miles southwest through the vast state of Texas to meet a player born light years away, in galaxies unconcerned with the deadly boundaries of basketball played on Earth's hardwood courts.
As the Raptors prepare for a less-than-ideal start to the season, their next opponent poses an ill-timed challenge in the form of a Vembanyama player who is off to a historic start this season and is poised to fulfill his destiny as basketball's next disruptive force.
After an offseason of cameos from Kevin Garnett, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaolin monks in China, and astronaut Peggy Whitson, it became clear that we would be seeing a more talented, thoughtful, zen and otherworldly version of Vembanyama. So far he's doing well.
So, to better understand just how stunning Wembanyama's leap was, here are five statistics that separate the Alien from the Earthlings ahead of his showdown with the Toronto Raptors on Monday night (Sportsnet ONE, 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT).
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1. Vembanyama has more blocks (18) than 24 teams. Only the Pistons (26), Grizzlies (20), Clippers (19), Celtics (19) and, of course, the Spurs (24) have more. The Sacramento Kings are even 18.
His block total was expected to top the field, but to do so at his current rate is unheard of. Vembyanama currently has a block percentage of 16.7, 7.3 points higher than second-place Isaiah Stewart. gap between first and second as much as the gap between second and 62nd place.
This is also, of course, highest percentage everwhich was 6.1 percent higher than second-place Manute Bol's 10.6 in 1985–86.
And while there are several teams that have more blocked shots than Wemby, no team has a higher blocked shot percentage than him with the Pistons. league leader at 15.6%.
2. Wembanyama is the first player in NBA history to score 100+ points and 15+ blocks in the first three games of a season. Add to that 40 rebounds and five interceptions, and the Frenchman sets an unattainable precedent.
Touted as a unique perspective, Wembanyama's calling card has always been his defence. But his ability to impact the game on both flanks took him to the next level and led the Spurs to a 3-0 record.
His scoring statistics were the stuff of legend, and the Spurs game plan on both sides ran through him. He turns blocks into buckets with incredible efficiency, runs around the court in a way that looks like an optical illusion given his dizzying height, and turns the Spurs into a two-way nightmare – they have the best net rating in the NBA at +16.0.
3. Vembanyama became one of the best players in isolation in the NBA somehow. As of Monday, he ranks in the 76.9th percentile, which ranks fourth best in the NBA and puts him in the same league as isolation maestros Jalen Brunson, James Harden and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
He takes his own shot in a way we haven't seen from him before take the fight stalwarts such as Anthony Davis and Derek Lively. He scored 13 points on seven shots when Davis defends at the opening of the season.
Wemby handles the ball like a player a foot shorter, keeping his body low and dribbling tight, then using his abnormal length to find the shots he wants, scoring them at a rate of 1.25 points per possession. The scary part is that the Spurs are only forcing him to play at 15.0% – there's room for improvement here.
4. Vembanyama is also one of the scariest transition players in the NBA, going from a Bambi on the ice in his first year to a gazelle in his third year. Typically the seven-foot-four center has been slow to get on the court in transition, but the Spurs have done a good job of increasing the tempo with guys like Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper on the court, which requires more speed from Vembanyama.
He thrived at that pace, scoring 1.64 points per possession in transition with an 85.0 effective field goal percentage—good for the 93.3rd percentile and sixth best score in the NBA.
His defense also made a huge contribution to this, forcing turnovers or kicks to start the offense the other way. But what's been incredible to see this season is his willingness to put the ball in his hands himself for transition shots, three-pointers or feeds to his teammates.
5. There is not a single shot on the floor that Wembanyama cannot make. While his pull-up three against the Nets was the highlight of Sunday night, what was even more impressive was his efficiency from every spot on the court.
• On touches of painthe scores 8.3 points per game on 73.3 percent.
• On diskshe scores 11.3 points per game on 72.2 percent.
• On pull-upshe scores 7.3 points per game on 43.5 percent.
He can play from the elbow with the offensive versatility of guys like Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis. He can finish long shots in a Space-Jam style. He forces defenders to meet him at the three-point line, fearing his shot. He is the personification of quantum physics, and the greatest basketball minds can only assemble theories on how to stop him and turn the abstract into the real. He's the biggest name in basketball today, and he's a meteor heading towards the Raptors at a rate comparable to extinction.
