Carmelo Anthony isn’t ready to hand Victor Wembanyama a pass after one rough night.
On the latest episode of "7PM in Brooklyn," Anthony took aim at the San Antonio Spurs star’s offseason progress after the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled past San Antonio on opening night. His main gripe was simple: he wanted to see more from Wembanyama’s offensive toolbox.
"What have you worked on skill-set-wise?" Anthony asked.
"As somebody who went through that and always tried to figure out how to get better every summer, I have to work on - and this is why skill set is so important. And again, this is the first game, but in that first game, I didn't see any developed skill set.
"I saw what he was trying to do. He was trying to get to the elbows, trying to get to the mid post, face-ups.
I see that. But the skill set.
I'm waiting to see that.
"That's what my eye is going to be on this year for Wemby."
Anthony said he wants Wembanyama to build out his post game in particular.
"You can't be 7-whatever and don't have that skill set," he explained. "The handles and being able to do all the other s- is a plus when you're that.
Or if you look at it the other way, the post-up game is a plus. Either way, you have a plus."
The opener was a tough one for Wembanyama on the scoreboard. He went 1-for-13 from the field, one of the roughest shooting nights of his NBA career. He finished 1-for-6 in the paint, 0-for-3 from midrange and 0-for-4 from 3-point range.
Even with the shot not falling, Wembanyama still stuffed the stat sheet in other areas, finishing with 13 rebounds and six blocks. But his offense never got going, and the Spurs couldn’t survive it.
That doesn’t mean the work wasn’t there over the summer. ESPN’s Michael C. Wright reported that Wembanyama spent his second straight offseason working with Hakeem Olajuwon, got in sessions with teammates at De'Aaron Fox's home in Houston and put in time on his own in Paris.
He also trained with a French rugby club, using rugby drills as part of his effort to improve his balance.
One game won’t tell the full story. Still, after a summer that included work with one of the greatest offensive big men in NBA history, Anthony is clearly going to keep his eyes on whether that labor shows up on the floor.
In Other News...
Spurs Just Got Burned By An NBA Problem Fans Hate
The frustration around NBA officiating has been simmering for a while, and Spurs fans have had plenty of reason to notice it. When a game turns into a debate about traveling violations and the way fouls are called for offensive players, it can leave viewers feeling like the rules only apply when they are convenient. Around the league, players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and LaMelo Ball have become part of that conversation, while San Antonio has had its own close look at how inconsistent enforcement can shape what happens on the floor.
For the Spurs, the issue hits especially hard because it touches the kind of young, developing roster that needs clear standards as much as anything else. Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell are part of a team trying to build rhythm and trust possession by possession, and constant uncertainty about what will and will not be called only adds to the irritation. The broader debate is not going away anytime soon, and for San Antonio, it is another reminder that the most basic parts of the game still do not always feel settled. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Fans Have Seen This NBA Officiating Problem For Too Long
A familiar frustration has followed the league into another stretch of games, and Spurs fans know the feeling well. In recent nights, the conversation has centered on the same old complaints about NBA officiating: traveling violations that seem to go uncalled, defenders being whistled for barely any contact, and a general sense that the standard changes from game to game. Players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LaMelo Ball, Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell have all been part of the broader discussion, which has only added fuel to the outrage.
For San Antonio, the annoyance is less about one isolated sequence than the pattern itself. Fans have seen these debates before, and the concern is not just about a missed call here or there, but about how consistently the rules are enforced when the game gets tight and the physicality rises. Until the league gives supporters a clearer sense of where the line is, every questionable whistle will keep landing with the same old mix of disbelief and exasperation. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Fans Will Love This Classic Gregg Popovich Lakers Moment
Before the Spurs were trying to get their footing under Mitch Johnson this season, Gregg Popovich was building the standard that defined the franchise for nearly three decades. Doris Burke recently revisited one of his earliest in-game interviews, a classic Popovich exchange from the Lakers era that showed exactly why he became such a memorable figure on the sideline.
Burke said her question about how San Antonio was handling its defense against Shaquille O'Neal drew an awkward reaction from Popovich, one of many blunt moments that made his live interviews legendary. For Spurs fans, it is another reminder of the coach who guided the team through 29 seasons and five championships, even as the current group begins a new chapter after dropping its opener to the Oklahoma City Thunder. [Read more 🡒]