A NBA Scout Doesn't Believe Victor Wembanyama Is Giving Effort On Offense
According to writer Tim Bontemps, an anonymous NBA scout criticizes Wembanyama's offense
Although the NBA season has just started, many pundits have already begun examining players. Some are even comparing their performances to those of last year.
According to NBA writer Tim Bontemps, an anonymous NBA scout doesn’t believe San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is giving much effort on offense.
"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." - Anonymous
Last year, Wembanyama established himself as one of the greatest rookies of all time.
His extraordinary abilities on both offense and defense are what separated him from the league. In the 71 games he played last season, he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and an NBA-leading 3.6 blocks.
Not only did Wembanyama win the Rookie of the Year award, but he also finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, behind Rudy Gobert.
Wembanyama’s defense is still elite, as he is averaging 1.6 steals and a league-leading 3.7 blocks a game. As for his offense, his numbers haven’t reflected those of last year’s. Right now, he is averaging just 17.7 points and 2.7 assists. He is also struggling to connect on his shot attempts, as he is shooting just 41.3% from the field and 22.6% from the 3-point line.
It’s safe to say Wembanyama’s offense started to become a cause for concern on Oct. 30 when the Spurs went up against the Oklahoma City Thunder. During that contest, he logged in 27 minutes and finished with just six points on 20.0% shooting while missing all three of his 3-pointers.
When the Spurs acquired point guard Chris Paul during the offseason, the idea was for him to be a superior veteran for Wembanyama and help him continue to grow. Considering that the Spurs are only nine games into the season, Wembanyama still has plenty of time to improve on the offensive end.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to The Lead. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson, Instagram @ckenzynelson, and Threads @ckenzynelson