“Area 51” in original language or “Zone 51” in French. This is the nickname, taken from the jersey numbers of the two players, that Spurs fans came up with for the association between Victor Wembanyama et Stephon Castle.
A nickname that “Wemby” loves, while his nickname Alien sticks to this mythical area of Nevada, associated with many stories about extraterrestrials. In San Antonio, it is in any case a duo that works, the Frenchman being the second provider of assists (16) for his teammate, only Chris Paul (28) serving him more.
Reverse roles to release the racket
Last night, during this controlled second half against the Lakers, coach Mitch Johnson did not hesitate to talk about the “best match of the team on a collective level”we thus saw the effectiveness of this “Zone 51”, with 23 points at 10/17 for Victor Wembanyama and also 23 points at 10/16 for Stephon Castle.
In the fourth quarter, the two continued to stun Los Angeles with a reverse pick-and-roll that increased the Spurs' lead to +20 in the final three minutes.
While this reverse “pick-and-roll” had somewhat disappeared from the Spurs' offensive repertoire at the start of the season, it has been back for a few games, and we had already seen the two players combine in this way against the Bulls.
A few days earlier, it was against the Blazers that Chris Paul, Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama played a subtle reverse “Spain pick-and-roll”, where “Wemby” served as a relay between the leader and the back, rather than of intermediate screen installer. Enough to offer an easy basket in a deserted Portland racket.
These sequences have several interests. Against the Lakers, the Spurs' strategy was to get Anthony Davis out of the paint as much as possible, in order to deprive Los Angeles of its main protection in the circle. Thus, on the reverse “pick-and-roll”, Stephon Castle finds himself facing Austin Reaves under the circle…
Always a global vision thanks to its size
It is therefore a question of taking the aggressive defenses against Victor Wembanyama, and the development of the latter as a passer therefore becomes an essential element for the Texan attack.
“I think it’s progress” explains the Frenchman. “Because this is obviously the next step in my career. I want to make my teammates better, but I also have to be more aggressive on the court to free my teammates, to give them open shots. But it’s a route I want to take fully. »
It is indeed a well-known paradox in the NBA: passing lines are better when you try to score first, or when the opponent thinks you are trying to score first.
The more Victor Wembanyama is aggressive and feared by opposing defenses, the more he will dominate his opponents, and the more openings he will have to serve his comrades. Even if he shows that he already has very good instincts in the field. The pass to Stephon Castle is thus difficult, Dorian Finney-Smith having anticipated rather well, but “Wemby” manages to get around it thanks to his immense arms to perfectly serve his teammate in space.
“He’s always the tallest player on the pitch”recalls Tre Jones. “He can make his reads and his moves while seeing the whole field. When he takes his time, he can do anything.”
With his head in the clouds, he always has a clear vision of the entire field, and with his wingspan of 2m43, he can get around his opponents to find passing lines that are unreachable for other players. And when he fully utilizes those advantages, all Spurs benefit, Stephon Castle first and foremost.
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