Entering the season, many expected San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama to make the leap toward being a top-5 NBA player. He has done just that thus far, but how he has made the leap has been surprising.
Despite leading all centers in 3-point attempts last season, he has largely abandoned taking threes, attempting just 3.8 threes per game. Taking five fewer threes is a big change, but he has replaced those shots with more efficient ones inside the paint.
Wemby ranks sixth in the NBA in points in 2-point attempts per game, averaging a staggering 13.9 shots inside the arc. For many critics of his game, Wembanyama didn't take enough [a](https://airalamo.com/spurs-finally-confirm-fans-biggest-suspicion-about-victor-wembanyama)[dvantage of his height,](https://airalamo.com/spurs-finally-confirm-fans-biggest-suspicion-about-victor-wembanyama) Shaquille O'Neal included, and they had a point.
The biggest player on the court can and should dominate by playing closer to the basket. He shot an outrageous 58.6% on 9.9 2-point attempts per game last season, so it makes sense that he and the Spurs are prioritizing getting him more shots inside the arc.
Through the first nine games of the season, he is attempting four more 2-point attempts per game and shooting a still impressive 56.8%. Even as teams have begun to double or triple-team him, he is still converting a high rate of his two-point shots.
The Spurs are cracking the Victor Wembanyama code
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Last season, the goal appeared to be to get Wembanyama comfortable shooting threes. This season, it appears to be more about getting quality shots inside the arc. The fact that he is taking four more twos and shooting a similar percentage is a big deal.
However, a bigger deal is him almost doubling his amount of free throw attempts, going from 4.1 per game last season to averaging 7.2 attempts this season.
Having him spend less time bringing the ball up the floor and spending more time posting up and using quick moves to get to the basket has helped significantly. That means more efficient shots and more trips to the line and fewer opportunities for teams to strip him.
His actually handling the ball less and being more assertive has resulted in him being far more efficient. It has also resulted in his turnovers dropping from 3.7 turnovers per game to 3.2 turnovers per game.
Victor Wembanyama is fast becoming a stellar offensive player
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Going forward, Wembanyama, despite shooting the ball well from two, is shooting just 23.2% from three. He can't completely abandon the three with teams still wary about leaving him open from outside and San Antonio having few shooters.
A happy medium for this season would be his averaging around 14 2-point attempts per game on similar efficiency and 5 threes while shooting at least 35% from deep. Combine that with him shooting nearly 82% from the line on seven attempts per game and him being a terrific passer, and he could be in for a heck of an offensive season.
Overall, Wembanyama trading threes for twos has actually turned into a huge plus for the Spurs. His shots in the paint are way up, as well as his free throws, while his turnovers are down, making him a more efficient and dominant offensive player.