It's no secret that Victor Wembanyama is having a complicated start to the season in attack. His stats are down compared to his rookie season but above all, his shot selection is highly criticized and open to criticism. Several NBA scouts – who remained anonymous – did not hesitate to highlight his lack of offensive impact.
We almost all expected an explosion from Victor Wembanyama during his sophomore campaign, we must admit that we remain hungry for the moment.
17.7 points per game, only 41.3% shooting including a terrible 22.6% from 3-point range on almost seven attempts behind the arc per evening. His lack of skill, combined with his high volume of outside shots for a 2m24 player, can clearly be perplexing. Here is what an NBA scout said to ESPN :
“He’s really incredible on defense, and not at all impactful on offense. It seems like he’s playing without really having a lot of direction.”
Another scout remained more measured, but the essence of the message is the same:
“There are reasons why he shoots so many 3-pointers, but it always seems like he's saving the opposing defense every time he does it.”
Here is Wemby's shot chart at the start of the season. pic.twitter.com/lhqT5bWDoV
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr)
Compared to last year.
1186 shots attempted:
347 in the hoop (71% success)
242 close to the hoop (46%)
203 at mid-distance (32%)
394 three-pointers (33%)
Everything attempted near the hoop was above the three attempted points, so the balance was…
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr)
Victor Wembanyama is one of the most unique talents in today's NBA, but his current style of play can also be a source of frustration.
Certainly, the absence of Devin Vassell (one of the Spurs' main shooters) at the start of the season is one of the reasons why Victor and San Antonio are playing this way. Certainly, the Spurs are pushing him to try his luck from afar to promote his long-term development, with coach Gregg Popovich even declaring that “Wemby is more of a perimeter player than an interior player”. And certainly, there is perhaps some fatigue after the very intense summer that Wembanyama experienced.
Despite everything, it's difficult not to highlight this interior-exterior imbalance, especially for a 2m24 player who is practically unplayable once he is served near the circle.
It's never just the egg or the chicken, there's part of the staff and part of the player. I don't believe for a single second that it's a dictate from Wemby who wants to stay offshore. It’s obvious that there is a tactical instruction from the coaching staff (and which sometimes has its effects). We see…
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr)
Victor Wembanyama never wanted to limit himself to the interior role, and was always inspired by the play of a certain Kevin Durant, a true reference in the category of big men who play as fullbacks. Except that at the start of the season, Wembanyama's shot selection is hampering his offensive efficiency and therefore directly his impact in attack.
There are only nine games played this season, and there is therefore plenty of time to rectify the situation (that's fair to say). But Victor will quickly have to put on the second because the expectations around him are still as high.
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Text source: ESPN
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