The Victor Wembanyama era has begun
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- Victor Wembanyama's 8-foot wingspan is redefining the dimensions of basketball. This detailed film breakdown & scouting report explores how the Spurs rookie phenom is using length to dominate on defense and add value on offense.
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Ben Taylor is the author of Thinking Basketball, a Nylon Calculus contributor, creator of the Backpicks Top 40 series & host of the Thinking Basketball podcast.
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Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.
Music by csus (instrumental)
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Dude is exactly as advertised
He was supposed to come in and average a 30-10-3 with 5 blocks on 60% FG in 70 games and win MVP, DPOY, ROTY and be 1st Team All-NBA and All-Defense while recording an All-Star game record 37 blocks though. I don't know. I'm not impressed.
@@nocturne311 whatever you say man
@@nocturne311No one ever said, that's just your imagination. A LOT of analysts who actually saw him play said his offense would be inconsistent but his defense would be top 10 from day 1. So yeah, he is EXACTLY as advertised.
If being worse than chet and just about as impactful as lively for dallas so far is as advertised then sure...I mean he has real potential but lets pump the breaks a little bit for a change, especialy when he is on pace to break per minute TO record without even really handling the ball and has been as shaky on offense as I was expecting. He will be generational on defense for sure, but people were expecting better version of KD on offense and we are getting a worse version of KP so far.
@@imranxalaminI was being sarcastic and poking fun at fans who are still critical of Wemby. He has been incredible. I'm a longtime Celtics fan and he has been making me tune in to Spurs games. Haha.
Wemby has been insane. Still unrefined but it's clear to see just how impactful he'll be once he matures
Just thinking that this is his floor is mindboggling.
Definitely. I didn't think we could get a better prospect than Zion this fast. To call Wemby a unicorn would be an understatement.
He's like the Bol Bol of the NBA.
I can only imagine if got taller. He is only 19.
@@phothewin6019 I would go as far as saying he is a worse Brian Scalabrine
But is he, I mean he is good but as of now he isn't even a sure Rookie of the year. His stats are OK but not historical we have seen better rookies with more impact.
Dropping this right before his 38 point game is crazy
That backward drop of the ball is so incredible. He's so tall that he streched almost to a standing dunk, looked at the rim upsidedown, realized it was really close and kind of flicked it in never gaining control of the ball
saw it live and my eyes couldn't process what they were seeing. my brain literally just turned off. had to do a hard reboot just to figure out wtf i just watched
Timestamp?
@@davidf2244 5:11
@@davidf22445:11
😂 it feels like a pigeon flying over your head, and you have an instinct to grab it and it goes in.
I expected him to be an impactful defender from Day One, but he's a legit DPOY candidate right now. The very idea that he could get much, much better on both ends is as unfathomable as it feels inevitable.
I think having a decent playmaker at the point will be huge for his offensive game and could make him an all nba level player pretty soon. Spurs lack of playmaking was most obvious in the season opener vs dallas and Lively imo
@@Bilby-q8bit was so bad that I thought they weren’t giving him the ball on purpose. Turns out they’re just scrubs
He's terrifying everywhere, but imagine being the inbounder at the end of this video. Stuck in one place while this giant tarantula flails in front of you in all directions. It's gotta be mind-blowing, even for NBA players.
How are you naming DPOY candidates when it’s only 4 games into the season? Gen Z is so clueless lol….
@@TOGGGAA1 calling people clueless, while you yourself is clearly not understanding whats being said, is really rich. Has all the years in the mine finally catch up to you, grandpa?
The fact that you posted this a day before Wemby embarrassed the Suns with 38 points is a testimony of how good of an analyst you are. Never had doubts but its cool to keep seeing examples of your proficiency so many times
Testimony is the evidence gathered from a witness . Think you meant testament to* lol . And Ps fuck grammar nazis
Would love to see more rookie content - why is scoot struggling, what is Brandon Miller’s upside in charlotte, how has Dereck Lively changed Dallas’s offense and defense
Lively is killing it. I love to see it even as a Spurs fan, I want to see Luka Magic in the playoffs some more. At least until the Spurs get there in a few years lol.
I agree. My two cents on Miller is that he might really end up being the right pick. He is just SUPER smooth. He seems very patient, and mature, sort of picks his spots so he can shoot over people. I like his game.
But you know, 4 or 5 games or whatever.
💯
and ASAUR thompson
@@BrandishingWeapons "HOOP VENUE" JUS DID A REALLY GOOD VIDEO ON AUSAR THE OTHER DAY💯HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT IF UR A FAN OF THE THOMPSON BROS💯
who's hear after his near 40 masterclass
Thank you for showing his teammates not being used to playing with. Lots of people are creating a false narrative that his teammates hate him and are jealous of, hence why they don’t pass as often, but it is obvious they are not used to someone being open for a lob nearly every other play since Spurs bball consists of constant ball movement. Once they get more reps and exp and maximise Wemby’s scoring opportunities, the Spurs will be dangerous
No they wont
Teammates love winning more than they love hating.
yup. I have read a lot of comments about how Vassel don't want to pass to him but as Devin admitted after the game, he is still learning to play with Wemby and he wanted the team to improve on that aspect. That dunk he stole from Sochan was actually Devin's fault initially but he did acknowledged missing Wemby and made up for it by directing Keldon to pass the ball to Wemby. Even Sochan did not realized that Wemby was already ahead of him until the last moment.
case in point: today. when the suns caught up to the spurs, his teammates started lobbing him the ball more often.
I think its a pretty natural thing playing in a team sport to try adapting to new teammates. Especially ones with their skillset being almost out of this world. But when Popp has enough film and his teammates get enough reps, they will all know how to get creative enough to get Wemby the ball to money spots. Especially when most of that starting lineup are tall wings anyway who can pass over generally small defenders.
jumping with 1 hand to contest the 3 then reaching out and extending the other arm to block it🤯🤯
What I like about Wemby the most is how humble and first to say that he is still learning.
All the Wemby blocks get the highlights, but the real highlights are the shots that he didnt block. He alters so many shots not shown in the statsheet. He's leading nba in lowest opponent shooting % right now.
You are right.
Man the league shouldn’t allow him in the league lol
@@easylife6348right , or they should at least ban the skyhook
I’m just waiting until he realizes he can go baseline in one step and just lay it up. He’s done it a few times and the defenders were caught off guard.
I watch a lot of Vintage basketball and for years I’ve tried to wrap my head around how Bill Russell was so dominant. I have the answer now. Wemby to me is the closest thing we will see to Russell. Athletically and physically. They even hold their arms the same and have the same mannerism. Go check out some old Russell footage and this is what you will see. Length leaping ability and elite anticipation.
I still don't know why the media kept on hyping up his 3 point shot when it's clearly a work in progress. But wow, his defensive highlights are fun to watch.
I think it is because of his shooting motion looks already very good. But the consistency is not yet their. So the potential is their, but to early to tell if he will ever get consistent in that shot. But some bigs you know it will never come.
I think he should work on his 3, because I consider it essential for all players now, but he needs to cut out all the dribble moves. I think that is just to show off, and it really isn't a strength. Plus, that puts stress on his ankles.
He is a good free throw shooter which historically is usually a pretty good indicator. He also has pretty good rhythm on the shot, so I don’t think it’s a stretch to see him become decent.
Give Victor time and he'll see the game slow down, he's on the right track for greatness.
This was released too early, Victor just had 38 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks a while ago vs Suns 🔥🔥
People are underselling his height. He's 7'3.5" in his socks. Most guys who have been listed at 7'4" have been 7'2.5" to 7'3" in their socks. Victor was noticeably taller than 7'4" Zach Edey when they took a photo next to each other, and was noticeably taller than Mark Eaton when you scale both to a mutual photograph with Rudy Gobert. Meaning it's best, for a sense of context with other NBA players, to describe him as 7'5". Also, his length is freakish on top of it. His standing reach of roughly 9'11" is 3" higher than Yao Ming, who was listed at 7'6". On top of being much more mobile and springy than Yao. It's just terrifying.
Exactly so blocking and his length is what's not even fair
January 2024. He is a different player than at the beginning of the season, you can tell he learns fast. The game has slowed down a bit for him already and he is only getting more and more oppressive in defence. He is blocking 4.25 shots per game in his last 5 games, it's silly. His offense is still a work in progress but he has all the building blocks. Long term is terrifying for the rest of the league, he is only going to get bigger, stronger, faster and more accurate.
Exactly that's why he is truly ain't shit and is cheat code so that's not talent buddy be smiling and just feeling all good about himself like that's not what he should be doing . At this point if he doesn't win 5 rings before his career is over than it was all pointless. I am impressed with his shooting and guard way of playing
the enrds will have fun this year figuring out how you define what counts as open with Wemby on the floor.
Recorded this right before his huge 38-10 game lol
My favourit clip is by far KD shooting a running fadeaway midranger. I've never seen such a shot from him, where he isn't bigger or faster than the defender, and have to shoot really off balance. Even when well defended, the pressure is usually down at the base, not up top. This shoot looked like the everyday Klay Thompson crazy midranger, so I have to think that if KD was normal sized, he would be something like Klay with better handles and playmaking.
Oh, and Wemby is an alien, but I'm not happy how he can just run up and down the court for minutes without touching the ball or materially impacting defense. Pop should not let that happen.
I think the young team is a mistake. They need to start putting good vets around Victor now.
@@shorewall I hella beg to differ. Wemby is essentially playing with vets for teammates now outside of Sochan who have at least 3-4 years of NBA experience who are primarily role players. Spurs should NOT oversell to be an immediate 30+ win team just because their Alien rookie is showing amazing flashes. Stink it up for another 2 years and let this current crop get used to playing with Wemby because that is a skill in of itself. Even if the Spurs start getting those vets, they still gotta get used to playing alongside Wemby.
OK, this guy is something else. Wins the rebounds without even bothering to jump. I look at that repeatedly, and its basically how I used to toy with my baby brother. What a beast!
You had me from “blocking 3s from drop coverage”.
You made this video right before he dropped 38 and 10.
This aged well
Was waiting for Ben's breakdown of Wemby. This kid is going to be a super star.
he did one on nba’s channel a while back if you can find it
@@sangrybird I watched it! But that was before the season had started so I was really looking forward to his breakdown after seeing a few games of him.
Oh definitely! Wemby should be decent too 👌
Superstar? He’s not a great passer, shooter, rebounder, or scorer. What says he’s going to be a superstar? Because he’s tall?
@@YungPhilosopherif you can’t see his skill set already idk what game you been watching.
The ceiling to each kind of categories (Strength, size, IQ etc. ) in basketball, has reach to an insane level
Cynical Take for the purpose of contrast (theres so much praise already, heres just some points for the sake of it):
- He still looks very "herky-jerky" (change of direction and balance with such long levers on his joints) and that makes me nervous for long term health
- The NBA isn't used to his size yet, and when they play him more, he will become less effective. Lots of his blocks have been when shooter has not realized the open shot they have isn't actually open.
- Even for all the "alien" comparisons, 46/26/70 splits with 5 TOV per game aren't all nba level like people said he would make in his rookie year.
Again, just wanted to make a comment with critiques since everyone already knows all the upsides. I'm going to love watching this kid develop over the years and see things change in the league due to his traits. Great video again!
He will even add still insane value by players changing their shot selection even without blocks. I think his potential is that high that he could become DPOY without a single block(which of course will never happen)
@@TheChessRunner Definitely, there's a lot of value into purely dissuading a shot with presence alone. Don't know how to track that unfortunately
I like watching things that aren’t supposed to happen. Wemby and Zion are my two favorites.
Wemby and Chet will be like Wilt and Russell, the 2020s could be the greatest era we've seen
2020 and 2021 are going to hold it back. Let's pump the brakes a bit.
@@nocturne311Man you’re just pure negativity in this comment section huh
@@nocturne3112020 was fire
Coming back to this in 2030
Chet isn't good enough to be Wemby's opposite number. Who Wemby challenges is Jokic & Giannis
Video came out too early 😭
Victor has to be in the top 4 of the most impactful defensive players this year.
saw a stat on twitter that he has the lowest opponent fg% in the league at 20% through 4 games. and thats after durant cooked him a few times on halloween. cant wait for the rematch tonight. i fully expect the suns to win after how the last game ended lol, but its fun watching Wemby and the other young guys no matter what.
The fact he is this good this quick and yet there still so many things he can improve upon... Good luck NBA
He is tall and long as shit
This kid is going to be be an all time great. Physically beyond freaky and if you watch his interviews, he has a great mind, a willingness to learn, and a humble sense about himself. Very rare combo with top 10 all timer potential.
This video was prophetic
Too bad this video was made before last night
All rookie content would be awesome. Victor seems to be he’s feel for the NBA really quickly. I still have fear for his long term fitness. He’s so lean and so versatile. I hope the Spurs are guarding his health and development with care. I’m not even a Spurs fan but I’m invested.
I pray with all my being that his career isnt cut short by injuries, with his frame very likely but I truly wish it would play out more like KD's.
Wemby only being 19 is crazyyyyy. The defense is wild being so young
This video aged like Gold in less than 24 hours later he has his career high 38 points 😂🐐🔥
who's here after his 38 point game?
and the next day you posted this video this kid posted 38 points on KD and booker
This aged amazingly Wembanyama just dropped 38 and 10 against the Suns in a blowout win !! Kid is the real deal
Not a blowout when game is tied at 4mn of the end, great finish by Wemby and the Spurs
Its amazing when someone lives up to, or even exceeds the hype. It always feels like the start of something huge. The best compliment I heard about Wembanyama was 'he makes the court seem smaller". Its so true with that 8 ft wing span, he blocks shots he has no business even getting an attempt at. Best prospect Ive seen since LeBron. And the guy can do EVERYTHING on offense. Last game I saw he was bringing the ball up the court himself lol, a 7'3" dude. And he can hit 3s!
I love watching this kid play. He's so unique and entertaining. And he seems to be developing daily into a beast before our eyes
That's crazy he affected the inbound and still bothered that KD deep fade at the end. As you pointed out he definitely squeezed it off early when he peeped that alien hand coming.
What's crazy about wemby is how he always seems to step up in the 4th quarter
I feel because it’s amazing to watch him play, you should make a similar video a month or so from now giving a further recap. It’s like seeing his best highlights + great commentary and explanations of how great he is and how it’s possible. Please more
And then the next night after this was published, he drops 38 and 10 in his fifth NBA game. What a generational talent.
I was trying to tell some 0:30 is not normal. That's a normal 3 pointer. I'm so happy they showed a "normal" example and a "Wemby" example.
It took Jokic four years to really get going. He's now patient, strong, not doing to many turnovers. That the main thing for what Victor will need time... controlling emotions.
He seems like a good learner.
As he get older, he becomes bigger, stronger, experienced. He has the right mind and attitude and is very mature for his age. His ceiling? What ceiling?
they just beat phoenix again too and wemby was insane. hit huge shots down the stretch to close out the game
He's still such a raw prospect yet already has a huge impact on the game. His biggest problem is obviously fouling, but that can be fixed with experience. Hope we get to see a long and successful career for this young man he's special
He's still struggling a bit on offense, but his defense is surefire.
One of the best things was at the end of the game seeing how much joy and emotion Wemby showed. He was much more excited than his teammates and that says a lot about his attitude. Its gonna be a fun season.
My mans heard the word "calibrated" the other day and won't let it go
He's insane to watch. He's incredible on the defensive side of the ball. I just wish he'd stop putting thru his legs lol. His offense with the ball is so clunky. Once he realizes how to play efficient offense he's gonna be scary.
“Since Wemby is 2 steps from anywhere…”
That’s the operative language for son.
6:19 i was quite baffling watching that easy put back he did there that night, because of the timing of him reaching the ball so high up that no one could even react to it, he's basically in his own realm....
Suns threw that game on purpose, everyone standing around on the rebound, then no timeout, inbound pass, everyone standing around as KD refuses to pass with 3 people on him. Seems legit to me!
@@t9t9t9t9t9Someone lost some money 😂
I get he's a rookie but this young man is putting up numbers vs some of the NBAs finest. Once he learns and fully understands the game, he'll earn a MVP trophy
Wow I'm scared of that boy 😭😭😭😭 I hope he stays healthy and just adds strength and he will be a PROBLEM
love this, love you guys.! Keep up the great content!
Wemby is phenomenal, but I feel his young teammates hold him back sometimes. Vassell and Johnson both have fairly poor court vision and often times they forget about him on offense. Most of his scoring comes in small spurts, because often times he'll go 4-5 minutes without really being involved in the offense.
Don't forget that Vasell and Johnson have the best shot of being in the future rotation when this team matures, pieces get added. So while it is important that Wemby develops, it is also important they develop. When a good pg gets added/they start working on plays for Wemby their volume will drop, but it is important they can create offense for themself too.
If he gains Jokic's IQ and passing ability, its over. I know he's gonna be knocking those mid-range jumpers down at 75% before the year is done. That and the coaches dont even know fully what to do with him yet. Pops has a player thats never ever been available before.
oh you think if he becomes the best passing big ever and shoots 75% on jumpers he'll be dominant? what is this take lmao
😂
@@Bikegod1 Yeah
The thing that’s been the worst for wemby has been Sochan . He has the worst plus minus in the entire NBA and consistently misses opportunities to get Wemby the ball.
This kid is blessed ! Don't forget he's just 19, he comes from the French league to the NBA, the transition is HUGE. HE has a lot of things to improve, the screens, the dribbles, but Pop will help and in despite of his weaknesses, he's averaging 16.3mpg and 7.5 rb for the four first games for only 27' played. The spurs are a young team too, they need to know themselves a little bit more: it will come with times and games like Phoenix.
As a French, I wish the best for Wemby and I know the NBA will transform him in a Superstar. ALLEZ WEMBY !
Game by game you can see his confidence growing. Fun to watch.
Honestly I'd go as far to say this is the closest thing people today could compare to a modern Wilt, it's a big reach but if he's half of what he's been advertised at we're looking at an insane career ahead
Nah. Shaq was much more like Wilt. Wemby is like a hybrid of a young Kareem and Durant.
Wemby is more Bill Russell than Wilt. Shaq was a brute like Wilt. Wemby is a lanky pogo stick like Russell
@@nocturne311Shaq was his own man. His built was different from wilt.
Love watching Wemby. Please continue to cover him. His progress in the NBA is fascinating.
Perfect time to put this out. Wemby just dominating an "inner circle" team today. They shot beyond their talent today, but I feel it was a water shed moment today for the Spurs and Wemby's place in their offence. Please let him stay healthy.
Would leave to see an update after last night. It was the first time Wemby played a team for the 2nd time and he looked way more comfortable.
bruh it's about time the spurs had their signature bigman. from david robinson, tim duncan, 7 or 8 year hiatus and now wemby is spurs signature bigman. I hope he had a healthy career.
Great video, love all the examples!
On the first example of a block on a closeout for a threepointer, its awesome. Funnily enough, Herb Jones did exactly the same to SGA, just in their last game against the Thunder. I'm really excited to see where Wemby will be going, the Spurs already are a dangerous team now, which is really early in their process.
And then he just drops 38 points on the Suns 😂
If Wemby really studies the game and becomes a true student of it the sky's the limit
We are so blessed to be alive .
His anticipation and footwork and agility are way ahead of what I thought.
I would love to see him in his prime in the playoffs, and see how teams strategize playing against him. He is definitely must see television.
Wemby's enthusiasm at 7:08 is super great.
Looks like you made your Wemby video one game too early, Ben 😂
lmao fr
Great player, awesome vid
I love the word “xenomorph”-thank you for using it!
Dude is a game changer. I hope he doesn't get injured so we can see his full development & potential
Awesome break down as always. Would love to see you analyze one of the most underrated PG's of all time in my opinion, Andre Miller. Nobody could ever speed that guys up. He had a great career.
Every game Wemby does at least 1 thing that I find utterly incomprehensible that I need to watch highlights of over and over again just to confirm i actually saw what I think I saw. As a Spurs fan I'm still pinching myself we got this kid and he's already showing what all the hype was about. It almost feels unfair to the rest of the league after getting Duncan but hey life's not fair is it lol
He's not a raw prospect. He already is polished. Just a little refinement and he will conpete with the best the league has to offer.
his offense is stil raw, very inneficient even for a rookie
Witnessing an all time great in the making is special
This kid is unbelievable. Lets all pray he stays healthy
Imagine if he mastered the skyhook. He’d be unguardable. You allow him to settle close to the basket, he’d skyhook it in there.
You push him out to the perimeter, he’ll shoot a mid-range or a 3.
Seriously, he learns the skyhook, he would be the most dominant offensive big man ever.
why learn a skyhook when you can casually slam it down over your defender ?
i really hope he doesn’t get a serious injury that may hamper his career in the long run. we are truly seeing something special
I had my doubts. I had to see him do it in the league, and he has. His clutch stats are at the top of the list 😬
This guy is entertaining asf definitely future face of the league alongside JA, Jayson Tatum, Luka, Anthony Edwards etc. NBA has a bright future
Better than I expected and I expected him to be generational
Its going to be interesting to see how he plays help defense in his rookie year. He's slowly adjusting but he has the instincts and given tasks to essentially shrink the half court. One aspect to watch which stats won't track is how many shots Wemby blocks/alters to a guy he's not directly defending. We've seen a bit of him just materializing suddenly from like 2-4 steps away and still getting to some shooter whose at the top of their jumper because of his unique length. I also like the lineup the Spurs play with him which are essentially tall wings and Zach Collins. So here is hoping they learn to throw alley-oops all night all the way from the 3-point line.
I Always feel like his teammates aren't used to his crazy abilities and don't feed him enough
This is incredible commentary
He's not just tall, but has very long arms, he is like a cheat code and is dominating already! Wilt #2 has just entered the game.
always so organized and very intuitive, thanks for the great clip 👍👍👍
I love this guy. Pretty much will stop anything I’m doing to watch him.
Xenomorph, Dhalsim, Octopus - three new great nicknames in just one vid. Nice job!
The Morpheus clip!!!! Ben diving into the meme world! LFGGGG