Even if the defeats keep coming for the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama makes his influence felt with each of his releases. Already capable of blackening the stats sheets like few players in the league, the Frenchman attracts the compliments of all his opponents, captivated by his limitless potential. Like its scale.
“ This is where I have to remind myself that the season is still long » he reacted after his last individual performance against Utah on Sunday (22 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks). “ I know there is a new challenge every night. When you see players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Joel Embiid, they can score 30 points one night, but every other game, they're also there to score 30 points. Once you have achieved it and it has been accompanied by success, what matters is repeating it. »
Over the last five games, Victor Wembanyama has averaged 24.2 points (49.4% success), 11.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.8 interceptions and 5.6 blocks, for four “double-doubles”.
Fix the right frame
Defensively, the Frenchman has already progressed a lot, far from his first matches where he was often hampered by mistakes, trying to do too much. More in control, Victor Wembanyama has better control over his races, prioritizing the necessary efforts in order to retain maximum energy for as long as possible.
The Spurs, however, continue to cover their jewel, with playing time capped at 31 minutes. But the San Antonio staff is refining Victor Wembanyama's game piece by piece, one of the latest being seeing him more frequently as the ball carrier on pick-and-roll, where his passing quality and ability to bringing out the biggest opposing defenders does damage, and opens up a lot of opportunities for his partners.
“ The game is slowing down for him » describes Mitch Johnson, assistant to Gregg Popovich, at The Athletic. “ We want to continue this process. He is constantly reminded to be disciplined, to do all the little things. We want him to be strong when he catches the ball. We go more into the nuances of “scouting reports”. One of the hardest things for us is knowing that he can do so much on the floor. So, we also don't want to open the floodgates and ask too much of him. We want him to understand things as he plays. We want to provide him with the framework in which he can continue to grow. »
| Victor Wembanyama | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2023-24 | SAN | 52 | 29 | 46.7 | 31.8 | 81.3 | 2.2 | 7.9 | 10.1 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 20.7 |
| Total | 52 | 29 | 46.7 | 31.8 | 81.3 | 2.2 | 7.9 | 10.1 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 20.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
