NBA Prop Bets: Best Victor Wembanyama Picks for 2023-24 Season

Victor Wembanyama’s NBA debut will be one of the most anticipated in recent history. The No. 1 pick played just two games in the NBA2K Summer League before the San Antonio Spurs shut him down. He struggled in his first game but showed his true potential the second time around. Now, it’s time for Wembanyama to show the world what he’s all about in the regular season.

Although there may be some lofty expectations, the French phenom can back up the hype. We’ve already discussed Rookie of the Year odds. Now, here are our three best prop bets for Wembanyama’s rookie season, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Wembanyama has the skill to score 40 points–just don’t expect it to come early. Just like Wemby did in his first Summer League game, he may have trouble withstanding the NBA’s physicality early on. Once he finds his footing, which he ultimately should, Wembanyama will break loose. Teams won’t want to face him then.

Wemby’s ability to score from all three levels helps. He isn’t a perfect 3-point shooter, but he shoots regularly. Summer League isn’t everything, but in his two games, the Frenchman took ten attempts from long range. If that even comes close to continuing, he’ll score plenty. His inside offense will grow as the season progresses, and he’s already pretty comfortable there. The 80% free-throw shooter will also score from the line. He took 12 shots from the stripe in his second game. Add it all up, and that’s a recipe for success.

In France, Wembanyama’s career-high last season was 33 points. That’s without the training he’s currently undergoing or the extra eight minutes available in NBA games. The Spurs will give him every opportunity to be the focal point of the team. And if we are being honest, scoring 40 points isn’t as crazy as it used to be. Wemby should be just fine hitting this mark at least once.

Only six rookies in NBA history have qualified to average 20 points and two blocks. If Wembanyama plays his cards right, he will join the elite group.

Last season in France, Wembanyama averaged three blocks. The defensive 3-second violation doesn’t exist in Europe, which changes things, but Wembanyama is smart defensively. In his two Summer League games, Wemby had eight total blocks. He’ll patrol the paint at all times, and his defensive presence is impactful. Two blocks doesn’t seem like a challenging mark to hit here.

Offensively, San Antonio’s roster should help Wemby. Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell led the team in points last season, but neither will get in Wembanyama’s way. Players like Jeremy Sochan and Malaki Branham are still developing, but they will likely grow with–and not against–the French phenom. And point guard Tre Jones, who averaged 6.6 assists in 2022-23, is an underrated distributor.

Wembanyama’s backup is Zach Collins, who is a fine option but not someone to fear. We’ve already discussed Wemby’s offensive skill set, so that won’t be an issue. Twenty points-per-game doesn’t seem like a lofty expectation for Wembanyama on this San Antonio team. They may not win much, but the rookie will get his chances to dominate.

We’ve already discussed why Wembanyama will average 20 points, but here’s more evidence in case you aren’t convinced. The 19-year-old scored just nine points in his first Summer League game. However, he immediately rebounded and put up 27 in his second outing while shooting 64% from the field. Wembanyama didn’t let his first performance bother him. Trust the confidence he has in himself and that the latter game is his status quo.

Wembanyama excelled on the boards in France, where he averaged 10.4 rebounds. But the opposition took just 68 shots a game. That’s a big difference from the 90-plus San Antonio most recently faced. It may be tougher to snag rebounds in the NBA, but the extra opportunities help off-set that. Wemby will have the chance to see 22 more shots. It obviously won’t come immediately, but he should settle in pretty quickly.

Also, the current Spurs roster doesn’t really have any dominant rebounders. Nobody on the team averaged more than seven boards last season. San Antonio’s top rebounder, Jakob Poeltl, was moved at the 2023 trade deadline. That leaves the No. 1 pick with a fair share of chances to collect rebounds. Ten may seem like a lot, but Wembanyama has the opportunity, size, and skill to get there.