Bill Simmons is puzzled by Victor Wembanyama’s reluctance to utilize his skillset: “He’s so intent on being Kevin Durant”
This past weekend, all eyes were on the debut of Victor Wembanyama. The No. 1 pick suited up for the San Antonio Spurs for the first time in Summer League action.
In his first outing, Victor Wembanyama finished with a box score of nine points, eight rebounds, three assists and five blocks. With the nerves of his first game behind him, the 7-foot French big man erupted for 27 points and 12 rebounds on Sunday.
Watch him work 👏
#SummerSpurs | @SelfCreditApp twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/IHhbqA5TgK
Part of what makes Wembanyama such a special talent is that he can play anywhere at his size. That being said, one analyst doesn't like what he's seen thus far.
When discussing the debut of Wembanyama, Bill Simmons opened up on how he doesn't like what the San Antionio Spurs are doing. He feels the No. 1 pick is settling for perimeter looks like Kevin Durant when he should be a force around the rim:
"Why do they think this guy's a forward? Like, why do they think he's a perimeter guy? The perimeter guy's cool, but he's 7-foot-5. He was six, 7-8 inches taller than anyone guarding him. You want him around the rim, I want him near the rim, around the rim. I want to get him putbacks and dunks and just using his size and it just doesn't seem like he wants to be that yet.
"It just seems like he's so intent on being like Kevin Durant basically, and it feels like they're throwing away his best advantage, which is the size."
Is it too soon to be judging Victor Wembanyama and his play?
Since it's been just two Summer League games, Bill Simmons might be a bit premature with his analysis of Victor Wembanyama. He has done most of his work on the perimeter, but that doesn't mean he'll be the same once the regular season gets here.
Part of why the San Antonio Spurs might be doing this is so they can preserve his body. If can be lethal on the outside, it will allow him to play next to a center for his first season in the NBA. The Spurs could utilize him the same way the Cleveland Cavaliers use Evan Mobley.
Bill Simmons might think Wembanyama isn't utilizing his size, but that isn't the case. During his second game, he tipped a miss to himself and immediately dunked over a defender at the rim.
This type of dunk is an underrated asset for Victor Wembanyama in his rookie year. Look for him to get 4-6 free points a night abusing teams on tip dunks. He can just get up for rebounds quicker than anyone else because of his height. #wemby
https://t.co/MKCTagYLwm
With such a unique set of skills, San Antonio is sure to use Wembanyama in a variety of ways this season.