NBA Rumors: In the midst of a potential slow start to the season, an NBA scout rips Victor Wembanyama for his offensive struggles.
Since emerging on the NBA's radar, Victor Wembanyama was viewed as a player who could completely change the landscape of the game - both on and off the floor. And that much was proven true with how impressive he looked during his rookie season for the San Antonio Spurs. However, to start his sophomore season, it can be assumed that he's fallen into somewhat of a slump. At least on the offensive end of the floor, Wemby has left much to be desired so far this season.
At this point, roughly 10 games into the regular season, Wemby has taken a bit of a step back on the offensive end of the floor. He's still one of the most dominant defensive players in the league, but the offense has fallen a bit year over year. Wemby is averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists on 41 percent shooting from the field and 23 percent shooting from 3-point range so far this season.
Explaining Victor Wembanyama's slow start
In response to his slow start, some could attribute it to fatigue after playing in the Olympics for France over the summer, but one NBA scout has not shied away from criticizing the young superstar. According to one scout, Wemby is not just off to a slow start, he's "not been impactful at all" this season on the offensive end of the floor.
"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 NBA scout
This is actually an interesting quote here and this could also point to a criticism of the coaching or scheme around Wemby. We're hoping for the best as Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich recovers from a "health situation," but it's hard to question his philosophy. Pop has consistently been one of the best coaches in league history and may end up going down as the best ever.
But whether it's coaching, fatigue, or other external factors, it's hard to argue against the fact that Wemby has looked somewhat off on the offensive end of the floor. If I had to guess, the truth is probably a culmination of everything. After all, Wemby is still an incredibly young player who is not only still learning how to play the game at the pro level but at the same time, the coaching staff is still learning how to use Wemby effectively.
It's not like players with Wemby's physical frame and skill set grow on trees. We haven't seen a player like Wemby in the NBA before. While the sophomore slump may be a bit surprising, it shouldn't be that discouraging. Wemby has managed to overcome everything that has been thrown at him so far in his career. I can't imagine this "slump" is going to be any different. Wemby will eventually rediscover his footing, hopefully sooner rather than later.