7x All-Star opens up on key to unlocking Victor Wembanyama's offense
LaMarcus Aldridge might have given Victor Wembanyama the best advice for his basketball career. The former San Antonio Spurs star played one of the simplest offensive games in the league but he was deadly in what he did. Being one of the most skilled big men in the league's history, Aldridge has a simple suggestion to unleash Wembanyama.
According to Aldridge, Wembanyama’s biggest strength is also his biggest hurdle in making him unstoppable on the court. LaMarcus Aldridge told Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on the “All The Smoke” podcast that he would suggest Victor Wembanyama to perfect his two best skills and use them in the game.
“He is so skilled, I would just break his sh*t down and be like get a move, that if it’s fourth quarter you are gonna go to it. Like my sh*t, it was always my fade. Beginning of the game, end of the game. And it helps you stop thinking so f*cking much like, end of the game, you're too skilled. You're trying to think, 'Do i want to do this, do that, do this' get one move, where it's like, I don't care who's guarding you. You know that I'm saying. And build-off that sh*t.” Aldridge said.
“I feel like he is so skilled. He is like got 18 different moves in his head and he is playing too fast right now. So I am just like ‘slow yourself down and get two moves to go to.’”
Aldrige said that his fadeaway shot was his go-to shot in the NBA and no matter what time it was on the clock, he was confident enough to take that shot. LaMarcus Aldridge’s fadeaway and midrange jumper from the middle was one of the most unstoppable shots in the NBA.
Aldridge was a big man in the league, standing at 6-foot-11-inches and used his height to effectively execute his shots. Victor Wembanyama is 7-foot-3-inch tall and perhaps Aldridge’s suggestion helps him filter his game.
Victor Wembanyama wants to have his own go to move
Victor Wembanyama is being coached by Gregg Popovic. He is the same coach who developed Tim Duncan into a five-time NBA champion and one of the greatest big men in NBA history.
Under Popovich, Duncan developed himself into "The Big Fundamental." Duncan, under Popovich, mastered his bank shot, which became one of the most unguardable shots in the league.
With a height advantage over 99% of players in the league. When asked if he wanted to improve anything about his game, Victor Wembanyama told HugoDécrypte - Grands formats that he was working on his go-to moves.
"[12:16] To have a repertoire of more concrete moves because there are many things, I am comfortable with but I would like to have more go to moves, we call it moves that we make in a way automatic. Which we master perfectly."
Victor Wembanyama and the French team will face the USA in the gold medal game of the Paris Olympics. In the semifinal game against Germany, Wemby led his team to the final with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks.
It might be difficult for the USA team to beat France on home turf with its crowd backing them up.