Even though the San Antonio Spurs lost to the Denver Nuggets for the twelfth time in a row, Nikola Jokic was full of compliments for Victor Wembanyama.

The San Antonio Spurs were defeated 132-120 by the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night, as was to be expected. Just one assist separated Nikola Jokic from a triple-double, but he still scored 39 points to demonstrate why he is the finest player in the NBA.

Victor Wembanyama, unlike Jokic, came into the league with the anticipation that he would be the next great big man in the NBA, and he did not let anyone down. The 19-year-old rookie tied Jokic with 11 rebounds in addition to scoring 22 points. In addition, he had a career-high six thefts and four blocks, making him the first rookie to have a performance like that.

The two-time MVP Jokic discussed Wembanyama’s value to the league after the game. 

“His age is 19,” Jokic declared. “He’s not becoming afraid of growing weary. He doesn’t take his hard work on the field for granted. It’s understandable that he is making mistakes. I don’t think the media that surrounds him is helpful, but he will eventually adjust. He will undoubtedly alter the game. He’s already headed in that direction.

Jokic finds basketball easy, but Wembanyama made things more difficult for him. Jokic acknowledged that he was sorry for not adjusting for Wembanyama’s eight-foot wingspan. He said that Wembanyama is one of the few players who can guard all five spots, complimenting his general defense.

The Spurs have a ways to go before they can be considered contenders and even more before they can be considered competitive, but they have the guy on whom they can build, so it will only be a matter of time until they begin to win games.