Victor Wembanyama He came to the NBA as one of the most promising prospects in the entire history of the league. With this in mind, How has the first month been for the San Antonio Spurs rookie?
As with any rookie, Wembanyama has had his ups and downs. For example, he already has four 20-point games, one of which was a 38-point masterpiece against the Suns that made the entire world vibrate. However, he has not been particularly efficient overall and racks up a large volume of losses.
To get a better idea of how good Victor Wembanyama is being, his biggest areas of improvement and the potential he has, it is time to analyze how he has done both in attack and defense in this first month of competition in the NBA.
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How Victor Wembanyama has performed in attack
Sometimes it’s hard to process everything Victor Wembanyama is capable of doing on the court.
As expected, having someone on the team who measures 2.24 meters with a wingspan of more than 2.40 meters solves many problems. The Frenchman runs the field well for a great player, he has a great feeling near the rim and the Spurs are learning that they can shoot the ball into the stratosphere every time he cuts or goes to the basket.
Just look at Wembanyama’s capture radius in this action.
Spurs are smart about playing the long game, but it’s clear that Wembanyama will benefit from sharing the court with a good passer. There have been too many occasions where he has had a clear advantage but his companions have not rewarded him. It’s not a big surprise that Tre Jones has helped the Frenchman more than anyone else and that San Antonio has been much better offensively with the two of them together.
The rest of Wembanyama’s offensive game is progressing well.
More | It’s not Wembanyama: the two best rookies of the 2023-2024 season
He can shoot over almost anyone, but he is scoring 35.4% from mid-range and 27.9% from three, both of which are below the norm for his position. Data to put into context if you take into account that two-thirds of his shots at the basket have been jump shots.
Plays like this are impressive:
But it may be a while before I do things like that regularly.
Wembanyama has also had some issues with turnovers, averaging 3.9. He can create off the dribble, but will have to improve his control of it to be a reliable creator. He is a good passer, although sometimes the game seems to move too fast for him, which is normal for a rookie.
The Frenchman does a good job managing aggressive defenses, but he still has to learn to control what is happening around him. For example, here it would have been better to connect with Cedi Osman (44.7% triple) than with Malaki Branham (28.9%)
That was one of seven turnovers Wembanyama committed against the Miami Heat that night.
With all the ups and downs that Wemby has had in attack it is easy to see that he controls what is happening around him. Over time, players who are strong enough to stop him in the post will probably not be at the same speed to react. And, if they are fast, they won’t have the height or physique to stop him.
The skill that Wembanyama has for someone his size is truly incredible. To think that this is just the beginning is terrifying.
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How Victor Wembanyama has performed in defense
Wembanyama already looks like one of the best defenders in the NBA, which is pretty impressive considering he’s a 19-year-old rookie. He was named the best defender in the French league last season, but it is incredibly rare for someone so young to have such an impact in the best competition on the planet.
The most notable thing about the Spurs player is, of course, his size. He has a huge presence around the basket and his length makes him a nightmare for opponents. If that is not enough, he can also go outside to defend. Popovich likes to put him with limited shooters so he can roam around as a help, but he has had moments where he has defended players like Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Paul George in clearing.
George, an eight-time All-Star with six All-NBA selections, left a great quote on his podcast about what it’s like to play against Wembanyama.
Sometimes it really does seem like Wembanyama is everywhere. This is a great example of how much ground he covers and how reluctant players are to challenge him, both in the paint and on the perimeter:
Victor Wembanyama just takes up so much space. Raptors score but it’s fun to watch teams figure out where the gaps are. pic.twitter.com/GSj57xGd4P
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) November 5, 2023
There are times when Wembanyama helps too much and is exposed to his rivals, but the good has far outweighed the bad. He’s already blocking a ton of shots, opponents are having a hard time scoring against him no matter where he is, and the Spurs are really making some good defenses with him on the floor.
Wembanyama will be All-Defense in the future and will receive Defensive Player votes this year. It is very clear that he has all the tools to be a very special someone behind.
2023-11-18 10:40:56
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