Victor Wembanyama is currently the NBA’s scariest defensive player because of the ground he covers. His offensive efficiency is another story, though. The San Antonio Spurs center is among the most inefficient volume shooters in the Association, thanks to his three-point-heavy game. As per ESPN, an anonymous scout went a step further, labeling the French big man as ‘unimpactful’ on the offensive end.
“He’s absolutely awesome on defense, and not impactful at all on offense. He just looks like he’s playing without a whole lot of direction,” the scout told the sports network.
Those are harsh words but truthful, nonetheless. The 2024 Rookie of the Year is making only 41.3 percent of his attempts, averaging over 15 shots a night. Almost half of those are from downtown, and he’s making them only at a 22.6 percent clip.
Another scout added: “There’s a reason he’s shooting so many, but it still feels like he’s giving the opposition a break every time he does it right now.”
Why Wemby shot too many threes
Gregg Popovich has been around forever, and he certainly has the authority to allow and disallow things to happen in and around the Spurs. So, why would he give the go-signal to the 2023 first-overall pick, who’s obviously not a great shooter, at least for now?
“The Spurs are clearly endorsing Wembanyama taking so many 3-pointers, and it’s because their highest volume outside shooter, Devin Vassell, has yet to play as he recovers from offseason foot surgery,” analyst Brian Windhorst stated. “Keldon Johnson, who was third on the Spurs in 3s last year, is taking fewer this season and the team let 3-point specialist Doug McDermott leave in free agency. After being 11th in 3-pointers per game last year, the Spurs have slipped to 19th this season, even with Wembanyama hoisting them.”
In today’s NBA, teams simply cannot keep up with their foes if they refuse to shoot threes. And if that three-ball goes in, it opens up all the other opportunities in the offense that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. Wemby shot a respectable 33 percent last year, and he’s a logical candidate to take up the available shots in Vassell’s absence.
Why Wemby is struggling early in the 2024-25 season
The Spurs hoped Chris Paul could help make things easier for their franchise cornerstone, but it has been mixed results so far. The “Extra-Terrestrial” averaged fewer rebounds, shot worse from the floor, and scored less than last year. According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, it’s not about CP3; it could just be fatigue setting in.
“Through eight games, Wembanyama is 14-for-62 (22.6%) from 3-point range this season after going 2-for-6 in 32 minutes in Thursday’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers, and is shooting 41% from the field. At least one scout told ESPN that Wembanyama has looked tired early this season, after the combination of 71 NBA games last year, followed by the Paris Olympics, where the hosts nearly knocked off the Americans in the gold medal game in August,” Bontemps said.
Nevertheless, Spurs fans should still see a silver lining from all these. Wemby is struggling but still averaging 17.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.6 steals, and 3.7 blocks. The two defensive stats are marginally better than last year’s, and he’s leading the league in swats as he did last season. When Vassell, the team’s main outside sniper, comes back, it might open the floor better for Wembanyama. Hopefully, it will create better shots for Vic and better results for the Spurs.
About the author
Jan Rey T. Obguia
NBA Writer at Basketball Network