Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs), failed start, really?

From 21.4 points, the Frenchman went down to 17.7, from 10.6 rebounds, he “fell” to 9.6 and from 3.9 assists, he fell to 2.7. Only his number of counterattacks, to which we will return, is increasing (from 3.6 to 3.9). To be completely complete, we will recall that after 9 matches, he posted, in November 2023, figures substantially equal to those of this year (18.8 pts, 8.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2 .4 blocks). The problem actually lies elsewhere.

At that time of the season, and while he was completely discovering the NBA universe, Wembanyama was shooting 44.1% including 29.3% at 3 points. His averages this season? 41.3% and 22.6% by far. His shooting, and more generally his choices, this is what we can criticize the number 1 of the Spurs. It took him a while last season to understand this new world, its rhythm, its codes. It was then said that Wembanyama was in a dysfunctional attack where he had to do everything. This is no longer the case this season, thanks to the contribution of Chris Paul and the slightly more underestimated Harrison Barnes, yet he is slipping.

In attack, Victor Wembanyama’s game has evolved a little, without knowing whether this will be a lasting trend this season or an epiphenomenon which will adjust. In 2023/2024, 66.8% of his shots were two-pointers compared to only 55.2% since the restart. The Frenchman is less close to the circle and he shoots further from afar, sometimes with first intention. Difficult shots that he is capable of making but…

It is the Frenchman’s choices that upset observers at times, especially as he takes more shots that do not follow a pass, shots that he therefore creates himself outside of the collective game. That Victor Wembanyama shoots more at 3 points is a problem in itself as his size is a lethal weapon three meters or less from the basket. He was encouraged in this by Gregg Popovich who sees in him a player of “perimeter“but, for comparison, Kevin Durant takes 61.9% of his two-point shots this season… The Frenchman is not worried, preferring to concentrate on shooting”that he must take“and who”won’t end up coming back”.

“The defenses are preparedalso observed Draymond Green in his podcast recently. There are game plans designed to stop you, you have to adapt to them.” What some had already tried last season, namely having a player around 2 meters but very strong on the ground defend on the Frenchman seems to work. Houston did it with Dillon Brooks and the Clippers, intermittently, with James Harden is looking for a parade and more generally to regain his energy. He doesn’t seem completely drained, and fortunately, the Spurs player still seems to lack that grin, a bit of that breath that made him feel all over the place. THE ground.

Conversely on the other hand, his mere presence is even more enough to make San Antonio’s defense frightening. With 3.9 blocks on average, he leads the NBA and from 21st place in defense last season, the Spurs moved to 11th in rating (the number of points conceded over 100 possessions, the figure accepted as the most accurate for judging a defense, editor’s note) while being the team which concedes the fewest points per match (104.7). Only twice (in 9 matches) have the Texans let their rivals exceed 120 points when this happened almost one game in two in 2023/2024.

We have already seen the same images as last year, certain players refusing shots and even double-steps when seeing Victor Wembanyama in front of them. Now fixed at the pivot position, the Frenchman allows his partners to be extremely aggressive on the ball carrier by intervening in the second curtain but also in assistance with a combination of wingspan and mobility never seen in the NBA.

In defense, Spurs seem to have found solutions to make the most of his immense qualities. It remains to gain fluidity in attack to find an effective Wembanyama even if after all the Spurs’ record is correct so far with 4 victories in 9 matches when it was necessary to wait until mid-December and the 24th match last season. No doubt the Frenchman had also put a little too much pressure on himself at the start of a second season expected to be extraordinary.