Wembanyama’s 52-point night reveals the Mavericks’ biggest missing piece

Victor Wembanyama draws Wilt comparison after 52-point game.

On Wednesday night in San Antonio, the Spurs center did something no NBA player has done since 1961.

Wembanyama finished with 52 points, 24 rebounds, and 8 blocks in a 112-111 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

It was the first stat line of its kind since Wilt Chamberlain achieved the same marks 65 years ago.

Bob McAdoo was the last player to come close, in 1974.

Wembanyama also added two assists and two steals while committing just one turnover.

He shot 16-of-28 from the field and 19-of-23 from the free-throw line.

His only three-pointer came on 1-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc.

But from everywhere else on the floor, he was unstoppable.

Dylan Harper, Wembanyama's teammate, summed it up after the game.

"He basically Wilt," Harper said.

Harper himself had a strong night, chipping in 21 points and five rebounds on 9-of-15 shooting.

The win pushed the Spurs to a 6-2 record after they dropped their first two games of the season.

San Antonio has now won six straight.

Wembanyama's 52 points vaulted his season average to 29 points per game, fourth in the NBA.

The night was part of a historic evening across the league.

Nikola Jokic recorded his 90th career triple-double, setting an all-time record.

Luka Doncic posted another 40-point outing, surpassing Michael Jordan for the best scoring start to a season.

Klay Thompson scored 30 points with eight three-pointers and hit a game-winner.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went over 40 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Yet none of them stole the spotlight from Wembanyama.

The matchup drew extra attention because it featured Wembanyama against Cooper Flagg.

Flagg, 19, is the young star many project to challenge Wembanyama as the league's future face.

He entered the game with a phenomenal start to his season.

But Wednesday night was a sharp reality check.

Flagg finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and just one turnover.

He shot 7-of-19 from the field and 0-of-3 from deep.

He started the game 1-of-11 from the floor.

Those numbers are far from bad, but they fell well below the standard Flagg has set.

And they were far beneath what Wembanyama delivered.

Wembanyama blocked Flagg twice during the game.

He also scored an and-1 right over Flagg in a crucial moment.

The message was clear: Wembanyama holds years of experience over the player many consider the future of U.S. basketball.

Wembanyama's defensive technique drew particular attention.

He has developed a method of hanging on an opponent's hip and waiting for them to rise for their shot before he jumps.

This ensures the shooter's attempt is not altered prematurely.

Because of his length, Wembanyama knows he can easily match the shooter at the point of release.

This technique led to a majority of his eight blocks on Wednesday.

It is, as one analyst put it, frankly unfair.

In fantasy basketball terms, Wembanyama scored 110 points in Yahoo High Score format, tied for the most ever.

He matched Bam Adebayo's 83-point game from last season against the Wizards, adjusted for the format.

Wembanyama also scored 112.8 points in points leagues.

His game-winning free throw gave the Spurs a 112-111 lead, which they held for the win.

The Mavericks are not considered contenders this season.

But this game exposed exactly what they are missing.