The Spurs have spent the preseason and early part of this season testing how much more Victor Wembanyama can do as a creator, but the full version of that experiment still hasn’t arrived.
San Antonio did flirt with turning him into more of a playmaker from the top of the 3-point line during preseason. So far, though, that hasn’t become a regular part of his role. Wembanyama has been used more off the ball, and the shift is showing up in the numbers and the way he’s being deployed: he’s bringing the ball up the floor less, posting up less, taking more threes and rolling to the basket more often.
That hasn’t been a bad thing. If anything, it’s helped him stay efficient by leaning harder into what he already does best. The downside is that the Spurs still haven’t tapped into the passing game that’s sitting there waiting to be used.
When Wembanyama has gotten chances to operate as a passer, he’s shown he can handle it. Give him the ball at the top of the key or beyond the arc, and there’s a clear case that he could punish defenses in the same way Tim Duncan or Pau Gasol did from those spots.
His shooting only makes that more dangerous. Once he’s a threat from deep, opposing centers have to drift away from the rim, and that opens the door for San Antonio’s guards to cut behind them.
There may also be a roster reason for the Spurs not leaning harder into that look. Mitch Johnson is already starting three point guards in De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, which gives San Antonio plenty of ball-handling and creation. With that much playmaking already on the floor, Johnson may not feel the need to make Wembanyama the fourth option in that department.
Even without a bigger on-ball role, Wembanyama is still adding layers to his game. He’s screening more, then either diving to the rim or sliding to the free-throw line for midrange looks.
The midrange shot hasn’t fallen well so far, but the rim-running has paid off. He’s catching more alley-oops, and that’s a notable change considering he barely ran pick-and-roll over his first three seasons and usually drifted out to the 3-point line instead.
That adjustment has made life easier for everyone. Fox, Castle and Harper can now create for him, and Wembanyama’s rolls often force a second defender to collapse, which can leave a Spurs shooter open in the corner.
That’s playmaking in its own way. His gravity bends the defense, and his size makes him an easy target for Fox, Castle and Harper to find. It may not be the full point-Wembanyama version yet, but he’s still generating offense for San Antonio both directly and indirectly.
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Johnson said his focus stays on improving every day and keeping his effort level high, even with playing time up for grabs around him. For a Spurs team still sorting out roles and looking for consistency, that mindset matters as much as any box-score burst, and Johnson seems determined to keep contributing without letting one encouraging performance turn into a comfort zone. [Read more 🡒]