The San Antonio Spurs are 0-2 in the preseason following a 102-98 loss to the Phoenix Suns. As expected, Victor Wembanyama hasn’t been his usual, excellent self, instead playing at half speed and only for around 20 minutes in both games.
That was to be expected. Any injury to Wembanyama in the preseason would be utterly catastrophic, so the Spurs are hoping he can use these exhibition games to settle in and get ready for opening night.
Against the Suns, he posted 13 inefficient points, seven rebounds, and two blocks. He went 0-for-5 from 3-point range. However, it wasn’t all negative. He did lead the team with six assists and turned the ball over twice.
The Spurs are hoping Wembanyama can turn into a complete offensive engine. He’s not quite the passer Nikola Jokic is, but he and Alperen Sengun are on about the same level as the second-best passing bigs in the NBA.
The Spurs, though, would rather his floor vision be used differently.
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Spurs Urge Victor Wembanyama to Ramp Up Aggression
Remember, it’s preseason. Seeing Wembanyama keep an eye out for the open man rather than risk injury by barreling towards the basket is a good thing.
Once the season starts, though, the Spurs want to see Wembanyama force his way to his spot. Settling for five 3-point attempts when he’s ice-cold is not a winning recipe. Passing up one-on-one opportunities against a smaller defender is not the best way for the Spurs to put points on the board, even if there is an open man.
“It’s got to be a balance,” said Mitch Johnson after the game. “He’s still got to set screens. He’s still got to put pressure on the rim. I mean, I think he has so many opportunities to do that and the gravity that he creates. But yeah, we still have to balance all that stuff out as a team.”
The Spurs envision Wembanyama as a do-all force on offense. In terms of his skillset, he can do mind-boggling things for someone in a 7-4 frame, but it’s worth remembering that he’s actually a worse-than-average 3-point shooter. He’s just given some grace because he’s downright deadly for someone of his size.
The same applies to his passing: he is not the best facilitator on the team. However, he is more than capable, and the Spurs want him to be able to use every weapon at his disposal.
“It’s been great,” said Stephon Castle of Wembanyama’s court vision. “He’s always been a great facilitator. His assist numbers, they could vary, honestly. It’s just the way he sees the floor, the way teams guard him; he gets a different look every single game. So, just knowing him, he’s going to make the right read for that possession. And we want him to be default aggressive in all those situations. But I think just the way that he sees the floor, it forces teams to guard him a certain way.”
At the end of the day, there’s no “ideal stat line” for Wembanyama. Nearly every game the Spurs win is because he’s the best player on the floor and impacts the game beyond the box score. The team is aware, though, that he’s one of the most versatile players in the NBA and will set them up for success.
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