Victor Wembanyama dishes out six assists vs. PHX

Wembanyama bounced back nicely after going 1-of-13 with 12 points in Tuesday’s loss to the Thunder. The 22-year-old center had 25 points on 9-of-21 shooting, but the Spurs lost again. Amen Thompson blocked Wemby’s shot at point blank range in the final seconds to seal the win for the Rockets. Wembanyama and the Spurs will look to get in the win column against the Mavericks on Saturday.

Well, this wasn’t how Wemby wanted to start the season. He was able to do enough at the free throw line to get to double figures and record a double-double, but this was an abysmal start to the season for him as a scorer. There is no reason for managers to be worried about this since this will likely be his worst offensive performance of the season. He’ll look to bounce back against the Rockets on Friday.

Jeff McDonald also reported that coach Mitch Johnson intends to use this starting lineup on Tuesday against the Thunder. The Spurs will use their three guard lineup with Champagnie and Harris coming off the bench. We’ll see if the starting lineup sticks that way beyond this upcoming Tuesday, but you can feel good to draft Vassell to stream him in on opening night.

Wemby may have missed all three of his three-point attempts, but the final stat line was what fantasy managers have come to expect. While a few managers may take Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with pick 1.1, many consider it a two-horse race. If it isn’t Wembanyama going first overall, then it will be Denver’s Nikola Jokić.

Wembanyama had a relatively quiet night in his first preseason action, but it will change nothing about his fantasy outlook. He should go no lower than second in drafts, regardless of league format, and you can make a strong case for Wemby at 1.1.

Per usual, the NBA will have its brightest stars playing on Christmas Day. The NBA Finals rematch will start the day at 12 p.m. ET and will be followed by Heat-Celtics, 76ers-Lakers, Thunder-Timberwolves and Nuggets-Warriors. Aside from the team and player rivalries that will add to the drama, this will also be LeBron James’ return to Los Angeles after spending the last eight seasons as a Laker.

Wembanyama qualified for a five-year max extension worth 30 percent of the Spurs’ salary cap, but his decision to go with a max that takes up 25 percent of the cap gives the team a little more flexibility. The 7-foot-4 phenom helped lead San Antonio to the NBA Finals this season, and at 22, Wemby still hasn’t reached his full potential. Friday’s news will remove any potential financial drama, and the Spurs can now focus on taking care of Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper in the coming years. Fantasy-wise, Wembanyama is right there with Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the most valuable players regardless of league format.

While he had moments of dominance in his first NBA Finals appearance, Wembanyama’s conditioning and the Knicks’ ability to limit his effectiveness at times were issues. Dominant as a rim protector in Game 5, the 7-foot-4 center was unable to assert himself consistently on the offensive end, even with Karl-Anthony Towns in foul trouble for most of the night. These finals will serve as a learning experience for Wembanyama, who will have an argument to be Pick 1.1 in fantasy drafts next fall. Also, keep in mind that he won’t turn 23 until January. There’s a lot more for Wembanyama to learn before he reaches his prime.

Kornet, who logged four minutes off the bench in Wednesday’s Game 4 defeat, is dealing with an illness. His potential absence from Game 5 would not significantly affect the Spurs’ rotation, given his limited playing time. It’s possible that Carter Bryant would get a few more minutes off the bench, especially if the Spurs looked to keep Victor Wembanyama’s playing time in check after he logged 44 minutes in Game 4. However, given what’s on the line, it’s unlikely that Wemby would play more than 40 minutes once again.

Wemby logged 44 minutes on Wednesday and put forth a strong effort. Yet, he shot inefficiently both inside and outside the arc, and couldn’t stop the bleeding well enough to prevent the Knicks from completing nearly a 30-point comeback. The Defensive Player of the Year did control the paint on that end of the floor while performing well on the glass — well enough to earn his second double-double of the series. San Antonio will likely need even more production from him on Saturday if it wants to keep its season alive.