Victor Wembanyama is starting to look like a big man who knows exactly where the damage happens.
The Spurs’ star has spent the preseason working from the middle of the floor, and that’s the spot that could define what comes next for him. The question isn’t whether he can shoot it or handle it. The question is whether he learns how to own the elbow area and the free-throw line the way so many dominant bigs have before him.
There’s a reason those zones matter. Nikola Jokic is the latest center to run the game from there, but he’s not the only one.
Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Antonio McDyess and David West all found ways to hurt defenses from those areas, and Wembanyama appears to be following that path. When the Spurs posted him operating there during preseason, the point was obvious: if this keeps up, defenses are in trouble.
From that spot, he has a full menu. Step back a couple of feet, and the three is there.
Stay where he is, and he can still rise up over almost anyone. With his length and touch, defenders don’t have much of a real answer.
He can also put pressure on the floor by finding shooters or cutters, and he’s already shown that he can sling lob passes, especially to Stephon Castle. If the defense shifts, one dribble is often all he needs to get to the rim.
That’s where the next step comes in for Wembanyama. He entered the league very thin, so it made sense that it would take time before he could really impose himself physically.
The idea that he should have been steamrolling people from day one missed the reality of his body and his development. Now he’s entering his fourth season, and the expectation is different: it’s time for him to make defenses play on his terms.
The three-point shot still matters for him, but it has to be a weapon, not a habit. His best percentage came in his sophomore season, when he hit 35.2% from deep, and that dipped to 34.9% last year while his volume dropped sharply. He attempted 8.8 threes per game in his shortened sophomore season before the blood clot ended that run, then settled at 5.5 in 2025-26.
The encouraging sign is that the shot profile has already started to shift. His three-point rate fell from 47% of his attempts in year two to 32% last season, while his field goal percentage climbed to a career-best 51.2%.
His free throw attempts also jumped from 4.1 per game to 7.0. In other words, he began choosing better looks instead of settling.
That’s the version of Wembanyama the Spurs need now: not just more shooting, but smarter shooting, and more of the right touches from the places that belong to him. With a talented and deep group around him, the next leap isn’t about piling on extra shots. It’s about getting the best ones.
In Other News...
Wembanyamas Opening Night Struggles Have Spurs Fans Debating One Thing
Victor Wembanyamas start to the 2026-27 season has already sparked plenty of conversation in San Antonio, and his first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder only added fuel to it. Through the opening two quarters, he had eight points without making a field goal, while the Spurs were forced to chase the game as the Thunder controlled the flow and carried an 80-70 lead midway through the third quarter.
For Spurs fans, the bigger issue has been less about one rough stretch than what it says about how the offense is functioning around him. The frustration has been obvious, with concern building over both Wembanyamas performance and the teams approach when the game starts to get away from them, and this matchup is already shaping up as an early test of how quickly San Antonio can settle in around its franchise center. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Showed Fight Against OKC But One Debate Just Got Louder
The Spurs had the kind of season opener that can leave a team feeling both encouraged and annoyed. They hung around with Oklahoma City through a game that featured multiple lead changes, physical stretches and a handful of defensive plays worth circling, even if the Thunder ultimately pulled away for a 116-104 win. The return of Jalen Williams gave Oklahoma City another layer, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jared McCain helped steady the visitors when the game tightened.
For San Antonio, the bigger takeaway may be less about the final margin and more about how sharply the matchup sharpened the conversation around Victor Wembanyama. His back-and-forth on the defensive end with Chet Holmgren produced the kind of moments that fuel a rivalry debate, and the altercation involving DeAaron Fox only added to the edge. The Spurs showed they can match intensity, but they also left with one familiar question getting louder after a night when the other side handled the biggest moments better. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Sounds Off After Spurs Let Thunder Set The Tone
The Spurs opened the season with a loss to the Thunder, and Victor Wembanyama did not hide his frustration afterward. San Antonio fell 116-104 in a game that quickly tilted toward Oklahoma City, even as Wembanyama still found ways to make his presence felt with 13 rebounds and six blocks. His shot never came around, though, as he managed just 12 points on 1-of-13 shooting in a start that left plenty of room for the Spurs to clean up.
What stood out most from Wembanyamas postgame assessment was how plainly he pointed to the issues that let the Thunder set the tone. He cited defensive miscommunication and poor closeouts, the kind of lapses that can snowball early in a season when rotations are still being sorted out. For San Antonio, the loss was more than one rough night from its franchise center - it was a reminder that the details have to sharpen up fast if the Spurs want to avoid letting opponents dictate the pace from the opening tip. [Read more 🡒]