More Wemby Mania

Our latest around-the-league notes touch on the In-Season Tournament and the early NBA standings and the All-Star Game ... but they can start in only one place because, well, Victor Wembanyama

Licorne.

It is the French word for unicorn.

Maybe it doesn’t have quite the same ring as the English version, but its usage is completely justified already when we’re talking about Victor Wembanyama. Yes: Even just six games into the 19-year-old’s NBA career.

"We’re just trying to figure out what he is, because we’ve never seen him before,” Phoenix’s Devin Booker said last week after his Suns were beaten twice at home in the space of three days by the Wembanyama-led Spurs.

It's truly hard to believe now, not even two weeks later, that Wembanyama only had the second most impressive stat line in the building among 7-foot teenagers when he made his NBA debut. Oct. 25 suddenly feels a long time ago ... especially if you watched Wembanyama rumble for 38 points and 10 rebounds (including 10 of San Antonio’s final 12 points) last Thursday night against the stunned Suns and one of Wemby's idols: Kevin Durant.

Wembanyama is playing so well so quickly — at both ends — that I can’t stop myself from rewinding to Opening Night, when a foul-plagued Wemby needed a big fourth-quarter flurry just to finish with 15 points, 5 rebounds and one blocked shot. Check out this revealing gem from my coverage that night: