It’s sort of hard to come up with something Victor Wembanyama needs to work on. At just 22 years old, he’s the best defender in the NBA, one of the league’s most versatile scorers, and the face of the next dynasty.
Sure, his 3-point percentage is slightly below league average, but for a 7-4 Defensive Player of the Year, shooting 34.9 percent instead of 36 percent is perfectly fine.
Wembanyama is the frontrunner to win MVP, DPOTY, and the NBA Finals next season, just his fourth year in the Association. He’s spent this summer training with De’Aaron Fox, Hakeem Olajuwon, the French rugby team, and the rest of the San Antonio Spurs in France. If there’s anything he needs to focus on, surely it’s been addressed.
In an ideal world, the Spurs won’t need him to do much more next year. However, with Luke Kornet fading in the Finals, it might be time for Wemby to take on a bigger role.
Spurs Need Victor Wembanyama to Add Endurance
Last season, Wembanyama averaged only 29.2 minutes per game, the lowest of any MVP candidate, ever.
The Spurs have been clear about their intention to rest him as much as possible, within reason. Adding Kornet was a key part of Wembanyama’s preservation. In the regular season, he was one of the best backup bigs in the NBA. Hopefully, he can return to form next season.
Kornet, De’Aaron Fox, and Keldon Johnson should all be on thin ice, though. None of them lived up to expectations when the Spurs needed them most, and it’s feasible that all of them will take on smaller roles next season until they can prove their worth again.
That means Wemby might have to surpass his career-high of 33.2 minutes per game, and he needs to add to his durability and endurance.
Last season, in fourth quarters, he shot 32.9 percent from deep and 50.7 percent from the floor, both below his averages. That points to slight fatigue setting in. In clutch situations, too, his efficiency took a dip. Simply put, by the end of games, he’s gassed. All that while playing under 30 minutes per game.
After missing the second half of last season with blood clots, Wembanyama traveled to China to work on his mental game. This summer, it seems, he is working on building up his physical endurance. He seems poised to play for France this summer, so he won’t exactly be heading into the season fresh and well-rested.
Hopefully, so far, he’s been in the weight room, doing cardio, and making sure he can reliably play 35 minutes per night.
If he does, and if he stays healthy, the Spurs should cruise to 62 wins once again, and he should win his first Michael Jordan Trophy.
Leave a Reply