Let’s hit the hardwood for another edition of The Morning Dunk!
Bama, Jama, Wembanyama!
Victor Wembanyama is off to an amazing start to his NBA career. In fact, the first-overall pick is averaging 20 points, 8 rebounds and 1.6 assists through his first five games.
Incredibly, he’s shot 15-of-19 and is averaging 7.8 points per game in the 4th quarter through the first five games of his career. Wembanyama has displayed the poise of a seasoned veteran down the stretch.
Wemby today:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 5, 2023
20 PTS
9 REB
5 BLK
The first San Antonio rookie with 20 points and 5 blocks in a game since Tim Duncan. https://t.co/8K37fvqRJ3
Wemby picked up right where he left off against the Raptors on Sunday, dropping 20 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks in a narrow Spurs loss.
San Antonio has proven far more competitive than many envisioned this season, which could provide some value on betting their win total. San Antonio OVER 29.5 wins at -122 odds seems like a lock with a healthy Wembanyama.
There aren’t enough superlatives to describe just how unique the French star’s game is. Wemby is heavily juiced to win the NBA Offensive Rookie of the Year at -350, but even that price may provide value after seeing what he can do.
Shorthanded Suns Defeat Pistons
Without the services of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant dropped 41 points on the Detroit Pistons on Sunday afternoon.
Kevin Durant dropped a 40-piece in the @Suns win!
— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 5, 2023
🔥 41 PTS
🔥 5 AST
🔥 4 REB
🔥 3 BLK pic.twitter.com/6gWfEiLPVV
Durant's cluster of points carried the Suns to a win, though Pistons star Cade Cunningham answered back with 26 points to keep things close.
Remember, Phoenix came two wins from taking home the NBA championship just two years ago. Only Booker remains from that squad. General manager James Jones traded young and promising wings Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson in the KD trade. Neither one has been easy to replace for a Suns team that now lacks size and on-ball defenders. 3-and-D wings don’t grow on trees, kids. Especially the kind that can average 25+ points per game as Bridges did with the Nets last year.
Phoenix is a bit of a mystery. The Suns are 3-4 through seven games, and NBA bettors aren't left with much of a read on how they'll perform down the stretch. When healthy, this team could be a bargain to win the championship at +600. If the Big Three can't play in harmony, then the Suns could easily fall short again.
