One Thunder star just revealed what everyone fears about Victor Wembanyama originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Once Victor Wembanyama gets anywhere near the basket, his size immediately becomes a major advantage. The San Antonio Spurs embraced that strength this season by shaping a more connected and efficient offense around him.
Even opposing players like Alex Caruso of the Oklahoma City Thunder openly acknowledged just how difficult Wembanyama is to defend.
“He’s 7’3 and can dribble and drive,” Caruso said. “Once you get over 7’1, it's kind of all the same. He's a talented guy. Obviously his physical stature is one of the key weapons that makes him really hard to guard.
“Through the year I think I've seen him pick up the pace a little with reads and just figuring out how he can be effective. He's a really good player. He gets within 10 feet of the basket. He's a tough player.”
Wembanyama responded with the best offensive season of his career, averaging 25.0 points per game while reaching a new level of efficiency. After shooting 46.5% from the field as a rookie and 47.6% in his second season, he elevated that mark to 51.2% this year.
Earlier in Wembanyama's career, defenses could occasionally disrupt him with aggressive pressure or surprise double-teams, but that strategy became far less effective this season. He cut his turnovers down dramatically to 2.4 per game after averaging 3.7 as a rookie. He also became much more dominant inside, consistently drawing fouls and averaging 7.0 free throw attempts per game while converting 82.7% of them.
As Game 1 between the Spurs and Thunder approaches, Caruso fully understands the challenge ahead. The Thunder may enter the series as favorites to reach the Finals again, but Wembanyama’s presence is expected to be felt in every moment of the matchup.
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