Nikola Jokic makes big prediction about Victor Wembanyama

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama. Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Nuggets' Nikola Jokic makes big prediction about Spurs' Victor Wembanyama

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 2/17/24

Victor Wembanyama hasn't disappointed since entering the NBA as the first overall draft pick. The rookie big man has flashed his incredible potential and versatility throughout his first 49 games for the San Antonio Spurs.

On Saturday, Nikola Jokic became the latest star player to praise Wembanyama for his undoubted potential and strong start in the NBA.

"I like his approach," Jokic said during an All-Star Game news conference. "He really cares. He's not scared of getting tired. He's not scared of getting embarrassed. He just plays and wants to win the game. He's playing at 100%. You can see that he's doing a lot of things on the court. He's a really good player. I've already said it. I think he's going to change the game. We just need to give him time and witness."

"I think he's going to change the game."

- Jokic delivers high praise to Wemby and his future in the NBA ️#NBAAllStarMediaDay presented by @ATT

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Jokic is widely viewed as the best player in the world right now. For him to view Wembanyama as a potential game-changer is a big deal. However, it's not a new train of thought. The rookie big man is 7-foot-4; he can dribble like a guard, shoot like Kevin Durant and defend the rim like Yao Ming. He has all the tools to be a true generational talent in the league.

However, it's worth heeding Jokic's advice. Wembanyama isn't going to be dominating the NBA any time soon. He's still young. He's still developing his game. Most importantly, though, his body is still growing. Over the next few years, Wembanyama will add significant size and strength to his frame. As that happens, his game will naturally go to another level.

The scary part is we don't know what that level is going to look like. All we know is that it's likely something we've never seen before. For now, though, it's going to be fun watching him continue to learn and improve because it's not every day you get to see a potential Hall of Famer learning how to dominate the NBA on the fly.

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