There aren’t many reasons to criticize Victor Wembanyama after the epic rookie season he just had. Any critiques are nitpicking a 20-year-old player who everyone knows will improve in just about every facet of the game. But that doesn’t mean we can’t point those areas out until the adjustments are made and monitor how long it takes to address them.
The San Antonio Spurs are capable teachers and will help Wembanyama cultivate the skills necessary to be dominant in the ways that matter. But one of those ways is the midrange game. Wembanyama scored most of his buckets around the rim or from the three-point line, but he’ll need to pump up his numbers in the same area Tony Parker did to unlock his full potential.
Wembanyama was at the bottom of the league from the midrange area
The French tower shot about 32% from 8-24 feet from the basket, and that should be a major focus for Wemby. His measurables demand that defenses do everything in their power to keep him from getting too close to the rim; otherwise, he might embarrass you. His freakishly long arms make that extremely difficult, forcing teams to use an extra kick of physicality to impose their will.
It’s already been reported by Wembanyama himself that he has added some muscle to his frame to combat that physicality. But there need to be several ways to counter what defenses are trying to do to him. Adding a more reliable mid-range jumper to his game will make it impossible for teams to stop him. His catch-and-shoot three-ball also needs work, but that’s the most obvious thing that almost every player in the league is working on these days.
Take LeBron, for example. He entered the league with virtually no jump shot, and throughout his career, he’s been up and down with his long-distance shooting. But his efficiency in the middle of the floor improved tremendously, and when it did, an already insanely difficult-to-guard LeBron became unstoppable.
The same trajectory is on the table for Vic. So many of the greatest players in the history of the sport developed that skill because it’s a more reliable shot. When their team needs a bucket, the star needs to be able to deliver in various spots on the court, so making sure you’re confident in such a strong area is imperative.
