NBA – “The Wemby Stopper”: Victor Wembanyama’s pet peeve already found in the league?

Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif

After just 117 games played, Victor Wembanyama has already made a big impression in the NBA. Few players have actually managed to contain him. One of them, however, has done rather well and found himself at the heart of a viral debate.

The league may not be short of stars, but many observers have deplored his absence from the game in recent months. However, Victor Wembanyama had no choice but to put an end to his sophomore campaign back in February. A venous thrombosis detected in his right shoulder cut short his momentum and prevented him from tormenting his opponents towards the end of the season.

Has Victor Wembanyama already found his NBA nemesis?

Before being forced to join the Spurs’ infirmary, Wembanyama had made a habit of giving his opposite numbers a hard time on NBA courts. However, some of them, such as Dereck Lively, have managed to keep up with him. In addition to his four victories in as many meetings, the young Mavericks interior has managed to limit the Frenchman’s impact. The influential X NBA Retweet account wondered:

NBA Retweet: Is Dereck Lively the Wemby Stopper ⁉️👀🤔
Victor Wembanyama’s career averages:
22.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists, at 46.9% shooting and 33.9% from 3
Victor Wembanyama’s 4-game averages against Dereck Lively:
17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists, at 39.3% shooting and 26.1% from 3

Looking at these statistics, which drop sharply when Wemby crosses paths with his Texan counterpart, it seems clear that Lively has found the recipe to contain him. Her immaculate record against him would only tend to confirm this impression. And yet, a plethora of Internet users refused to attach this label to her forehead, citing several arguments supposedly against her:

@Prosaik_: Interesting and one to watch, but 4 games isn’t enough to categorize him as the “Wemby Stopper”.

@AW_Zito: This is stupid, and I’m being kind. 3 of these games took place during Wemby’s rookie season and before Fox came to the Spurs. Doesn’t offer much insight into their duels.

@Mongo_23: His scoring average only dropped a few points and you call Lively a Wemby Stopper?! That’s crazy!

Nevertheless, other fans have expressed the opposite view and tend to validate this status:

@dave_27_: I wouldn’t say “Wemby Stopper”, but this matchup works pretty well for D-Live

@hbg2011: It’s clear that so far, his pet peeve is him