Victor Wembanyama will face reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid for the first time in his NBA career on Monday, and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich had some fun ahead of the matchup.

"We are going to hammer his ass," Popovich jokingly told reporters when discussing the big-man matchup. "I told Wemby to stick him, put your butt right in his stomach, back him down over the rim and just throw him through the rim. That's what you can look forward to ... Don't tell Wemby I said that."

While the 28-13 Philadelphia 76ers have much higher aspirations than the 8-34 Spurs this season, the first of many battles to come between Embiid and Wembanyama makes the game more intriguing.

If Wembanyama is going to live up to expectations and become a franchise cornerstone and one of the best players in the league, he will have to hold his own against the likes of Embiid and other superstar big men.

Putting someone like Embiid "through the rim" may have been a joke, but the rookie appears well on his way to stardom and is averaging 19.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.

Performing well against the MVP would only serve to bolster his confidence as he continues to establish himself as one of the league's brightest young stars.