Bewildered NBA fans react to Victor Wembanyama and France’s dream front court after Joel Embiid’s aversion

Rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama has been one of the most exciting young players to watch this season with his shotmaking and the utilization of his height to tower over opponents. With the 2024 Summer Olympics drawing closer each day, The Athletic's Joe Vardon reported that France originally envisioned Wembanyama playing alongside Rudy Gobert and Joel Embiid.

Initially, there were reports of Philadelphia 76ers star Embiid considering joining either Team USA or France to compete in this year's Olympics. However, France's roster plans went south when the 2023 NBA MVP decided to join forces with USA Basketball.

Following this report, numerous NBA fans couldn't help but imagine what the possible implications could have been if the Sixers big man had decided to go in the other direction.

Fans drooled over the idea of Victor Wembanyama starting at the small forward position, with Joel Embiid and Rudy Gobert ruling the frontcourt of the lineup. The defense already sounds imposing on paper, but the offensive production is even more profound due to the combination of Embiid and Wembanyama's skill sets.

Some fans even argued that it would have made the competition against USA Basketball all the more interesting, considering how stacked in talent and versatility they are at the moment.

With how the 2023 FIBA World Cup ended for the United States and France, both countries are eyeing a strong redemption in the coming Olympics, especially with the international competition being one of the biggest sports events this year.

Be that as it may, a frontcourt tandem of Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert is still an imposing matchup for any opposing teams due to their size and elite rim protection that they can bring to the table.

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Victor Wembanyama talked about his matchup with Joel Embiid

On Jan. 23, the Philadelphia 76ers got the better of the San Antonio Spurs with a 133-123 victory. The Spurs managed to keep it close, but Joel Embiid's scoring efforts proved too much to handle. The seven-time NBA All-Star put up an incredible 70-point outing (24 of 41 shooting), 18 rebounds and five assists.

Following the game, Victor Wembanyama still felt the sting of defeat but made sure to praise Embiid's electric performance.

"It would have been more fun in a win, of course," Wembanyama said, "but it's inspiring, especially offensively."

Despite Joel Embiid ruling the headlines after that contest, Wembanyama was no slouch in the big-man matchup either. The Spurs rookie dropped 33 points (10 of 19 shooting, including 2 of 5 from 3-point range), seven rebounds and two blocks.

It's obvious that the French center still has a long way to go to reach the elite status of the likes of Joel Embiid or even Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. However, his competitive nature is evident, as his two-way ability will only continue to improve from this point on.