Matthew (Moose) Lopez
Managing Editor
The secret’s out: Victor “Wemby” Wembanyama didn’t just live up to the hype, he exceeded it. It’s not exaggerating to say the 20-year-old had an all-time rookie season.
The French man proved he has the potential not only to be the cornerstone of the San Antonio Spurs but also the face of the NBA.
It seems like every time he steps on the court, he shows us something that’s never been done before. After earning silver in an impressive showing during the ‘24 Olympics, Wemby seems poised to get the Spurs back to their winning ways.
But will Wemby’s sophomore season be enough to elevate the Spurs back into playoff contention?
Wembanyama-rama: The extraterrestrial skillset
Wemby’s initial hype could be simplified to “a big that can handle like a guard and shoot the three,” which isn’t incorrect but doesn’t capture the value he brings to the court. After only a couple games in the league, he showed what a pure force of basketball he really is.
From glam-shot plays to solid fundamentals, Wemby’s passing, rebounding, shooting, shot selection and defensive capabilities look extremely polished for a rookie. The young Spur’s solid fundamentals are elevated by his enormous size and fluidity of motion.
In today’s NBA, it’s very rare to have a big man who can’t stretch the floor. There are only a few exceptions where their impact in other areas of the game makes the trade off worth it. Examples are: Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen, Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert and Sacramento Kings’ Domantos Sabonis.
What sets Wemby apart from other bigs is his ability to play on the perimeter comfortably. He’s not simply popping to the elbow for a mid-range jumper or slipping out to the three for a set shot. When he brings the ball up the floor, his handle is tight and creates his own shot whether off the dribble or the catch. The fluidity of motion with the ball makes Wemby a dynamic threat offensively, as he’s one of the few elite players that can start and end a play.
Among players who have taken a minimum of 50 stepback jumpshot field goal attempts, Wemby was the sixth most efficient shooter in the entire NBA at 60% on 62 attempts. The next tallest player among the top 10 of this list is the Dallas Maverick Luka Dončić at 6 feet 7 inches tall – further evidence of Wemby’s rookie out-of-worldliness.
Wemby quickly reached the point where the Spurs’ offense had to run through him.
His all around grasp of the game was exemplified last season when Wemby became the youngest center ever to record a triple double and the only rookie center in NBA history to have multiple triple doubles in a season(2).
His impact on the defensive end was immediate: players actively avoided the paint with Wemby lurking. His mere presence became a defensive force. Not only did he lead the NBA in blocks per game at 3.6 but became the first rookie to be named to the All-Defensive-First team.
With his level of impact on both ends of the floor viewers might be pressed to think, “What can’t he do?”
Ironically, Wemby’s area of untapped potential lies in the paint.
I’m not saying he doesn’t have a post-game, but with all the tremendous things he did, it was rare to see him set up on the block and use any post moves. When he posts up, the possession will either end in a jump shot, fade away or hit a cutter with a dime.
The culprit: lack of strength probably.
One of the knocks on Wemby was his lack of size. Despite his monstrous height, he’s still slight in frame. It was common to see him pushed out of position because he lacked the body mass to maintain it. But Wemby is cognizant of this fact and understands how to use his immense length to make the defenders’ position on him completely obsolete.
That’s why Wemby’s role in Spurs wins cannot be understated.
And although his game consists of working his way in from the perimeter and taking the defender off the dribble, I can only imagine how much greater he could be with a more developed game around the basket.
No matter how skilled Wemby is, a center needs to be able to maintain position in the post, both for their individual game and the benefit of the team. Not to say he isn’t fulfilling his responsibilities at the position, but he’s unable to fully display what he can do because he can’t enforce his dominance the same way he does on the perimeter.
It’s almost scary to think about everything Wemby can already do, and he hasn’t even added a consistent post–game to his repertoire.
However, as much as we gush over the individual spectacle of an excellent player, basketball remains a team sport. If San Antonio doesn’t put him in position to maximize his abilities and therefore his impact on winning, then it’s just empty stats.
That’s what makes this past offseason so intriguing for the silver and black.
The silver and black are back: familiar faces in new places
No matter how good Wemby’s year was individually, the Spurs still ended with a record of 22-60 and missed the playoffs for the fifth season in a row.
However, this offseason was an active one compared to previous years. The Spurs added battle-tested veterans in: Harrison Barnes from the Sacramento Kings and future hall of famer Chris Paul. Coupled with lottery pick Stephon Castle out of UConn, the Spurs are poised to get back on track, but what will it take?
From what we’ve seen in the preseason, the new additions are set to make an immediate impact on the team.
Barnes is a proven veteran having been on both ends of the spectrum in terms of basketball success. From being a part of the Golden State Warriors’ first championship to being a part of the Kings’ rebuilding days as they rose back to relevancy, Barnes brings a unique and seasoned perspective to the young Spurs’ locker room.
But the lack of veteran leadership wasn’t the key issue with the silver and black last year.
The Jeremy Sochan experiment last season was bold, to say the least. Sochan has the qualities of a playmaker and an excellent feel for the game, but it never seemed like the Spurs’ forward could truly organize the team in the half-court. That’s not to minimize the value Sochan brings to the team, but the role didn’t suit his talents.
There were several viral clips, not just of Sochan, but of other Spurs missing Wemby for an open lob or when he had a good position in the post. It quickly became apparent that Wemby would make the right play once he touched the ball, so these clips were especially (and rightly) upsetting to Spurs fans. And sometimes, you just have to give the ball to the player that can dunk on his tippy toes.
When the lack of a true point guard was apparent, speculation ran wild on who the Spurs should acquire from blockbuster trades surrounding Atlanta Hawks’ guard Trae Young to a reunion with former Spur Dejounte Murray.
Who the Spurs actually got, came in the form of an old rival. Chris Paul, often referred to as the “Point God,” is the floor general the Spurs needed.
When you need someone to throw lobs to Wemby, who better than the player who sits third all-time in assists?
On the other hand, Chris Paul is 39 years old and in the latter half of his career, so why would the Spurs sign him?
Here’s an explanation.
San Antonio is on the tail end of its rebuilding phase, and Wemby has proved his skill set has the capability of elevating the Spurs to greater heights. But when a team is rebuilding, the roster is typically full of young players that, although talented, lack experience competing at the highest level. That’s where the “Point God” and Barnes come in.
Paul brings composure and organization to the team. The 20-year veteran doesn’t just bring skill, he brings valuable experience. San Antonio is the youngest team in the league, so bringing in a proven veteran like Paul will provide some much needed guidance, especially from the point guard position.
Every team Paul has joined has seen a significant uptick in wins and overall production. Save for his previous season with the Golden State Warriors, Paul has elevated every team to new heights. In his first season with the Phoenix Suns in 2021, he helped lead the franchise to their third finals appearance, which was their first time back since 1993. Moreover, his dominant days with the Los Angeles Clippers where “Lob City” took the league by storm, he cemented himself as one of the greatest point guards to step foot on an NBA court.
Will the Spurs reach the finals? Probably not. Do the Spurs have enough to become a playoff or play-in team? Absolutely. Paul isn’t a part of the Spurs long term plan – he’s there to help develop the young squad and provide guidance to rising stars like Stephon Castle.
When watching the UConn guard play, you know he’ll be a good NBA player. Castle was the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft and is coming off a NCAA Championship. His preseason was nothing short of promising; his body control and instincts are excellent. Like Paul, Castle looks comfortable and controlled with the ball in his hands and maintains an actively aggressive mindset on both ends of the floor.
Castle is positioned to be the point guard of the future. Improvements in shooting and ball handling are still developing for him, but his high floor as a defensive-minded combo guard is a welcome sight for Spurs fans.
All eyes will be on Wemby and the Spurs this season and the foreseeable future. The organization and San Antonio are in for a media spotlight like they’ve never seen. But as they have in the past, they’ll handle the pressure the way they always have: by pounding the rock.
