SAS 129, CHI 114: Wembanyama Pours In 41 Points
Maya Chen
UX Designer ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Victor Wembanyama Put On A MASTERCLASS: Spurs 129, Bulls 114
Look, some nights you watch a box score and think "yeah, that checks out." Then there's nights like this where you see 41/16/4 on 17-27 shooting and your brain just stops working for a second. Victor Wembanyama didn't just beat the Bulls today, he absolutely disassembled them. This is the kind of performance that makes you remember why he's on the All-NBA Third Team.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | 87.0 | 76.2 | 41/16/4 | 24.5/11.4/3.1 | +16.5 |
| Stephon Castle | 44.0 | 44.6 | 21/8/10 | 16.7/5.2/7.2 | +4.3 |
| Leonard Miller | 50.0 | 40.2 | 21/6/4 | 6.4/3.3/0.7 | +14.6 |
| Josh Giddey | 38.0 | 33.4 | 9/7/10 | 17.2/8.3/9.2 | -8.2 |
| Matas Buzelis | 33.0 | 32.2 | 12/6/2 | 16.4/5.7/2.0 | -4.4 |
| Collin Sexton | 35.0 | 30.1 | 20/3/3 | 15.1/2.0/3.3 | +4.9 |
| Dylan Harper | 33.0 | 29.7 | 13/6/3 | 11.6/3.4/3.8 | +1.4 |
| Tre Jones | 36.0 | 28.9 | 23/2/3 | 13.4/3.1/5.5 | +9.6 |
| Julian Champagnie | 33.0 | 27.1 | 13/8/3 | 11.1/5.8/1.5 | +1.9 |
| Guerschon Yabusele | 23.0 | 26.0 | 15/5/2 | 5.3/3.3/0.9 | +9.7 |
Wembanyama Was Different Today
Let's be real: 76.2 Yahoo fantasy points in 30 minutes is not normal. Wembanyama shot 63% from the field and 100% from the line. His 16 rebounds in a 15-point game is the kind of stat line that makes you double-check the box score. He exceeded his season average by 16.5 points, and that's on someone already averaging 24.5 per night.
The efficiency was the story here more than volume. 17-27 is elite. This wasn't a 30-shot night where he got hot, this was precise execution against a team that couldn't contain him on either end. If you own him, you already knew what you had. If you don't own him in a 10-team league or deeper, that's on you.
The Leonard Miller Problem (Or Opportunity?)
Here's where things get weird. Leonard Miller put up 50 ESPN points on 25 minutes for the Bulls. He's averaging 6.4 PPG this season and came out of nowhere to drop 21/6/4 on 64% shooting. This is a classic "too good to be true" game.
Miller isn't getting consistent minutes normally. He had a ceiling game against a decimated Spurs defense that couldn't match up with him. I'd pump the brakes here. One game doesn't change the fact that he's not in the regular rotation. Don't trade assets for him based on this.
Stephon Castle Staying Consistent
Castle had a solid all-around night with 21/8/10 on good efficiency. That's +4.3 from his average, which means he basically played a normal good game rather than going nuclear. The 10 assists are nice, the 34 minutes of work show he's getting real playing time for San Antonio, and the shooting was clean at 3-12 from three.
For a Rookie of the Year, he's trending the right way as the season goes deeper. He's becoming the kind of floor play you want in playoffs, not a ceiling play but consistent production. In 12+ team leagues, he should already be rostered, and he's earned those minutes.
The Bulls Couldn't Keep Up
Josh Giddey had an interesting game: 9 points but 10 assists with decent efficiency on 32 minutes. That -8.2 from his season average is misleading because his role here was pass-first, and he did that job. The 7 rebounds helped too. Not a bad night, just not one where he could do the heavy lifting against a superior Spurs team.
Collin Sexton actually went off with 20 points on 8-15 shooting. That's +4.9 from his average, and he's supposed to be getting more work this season. The concern is the 3 assists from a scoring guard, but on a night where the Bulls were chasing the game, you take what you can get. Tre Jones also had a weird scoring night at 23 points, way above his 13.4 average, but only 3 assists. Both played well, the team just lost.
The Flip Side: Spurs Role Guys Showed Up
Dylan Harper with 13/6/3 is exactly what you'd want from a bench wing. Julian Champagnie gave you 13/8/3 on 71% shooting. These are complementary performances that let Wembanyama do his thing without needing 40 points to win. When your stars are efficient, your depth pieces don't need to create, they just need to execute.
Should You Care Tomorrow?
If you're thinking about waiver moves, the answer is no to Miller. Don't chase the hot hand. Yes to keeping Wembanyama, Castle, and Sexton in your lineup and trusting what you have. The Bulls showed fight but didn't have enough. The Spurs showed why they're a real team when Wembanyama plays like this.
Harrison Barnes is being dropped league-wide (down 0.1% ownership to 5.3%), and honestly, that's probably where he was headed anyway. He's been inconsistent all year.
This was a reminder that on any given night, a generational talent will remind you why he's a generational talent. Wembanyama tonight was exactly that.