The Spurs phenom gained 25 pounds, worked with Jamal Crawford and added Chris Paul as a teammate in the offseason.
Shams Charania joins Pat McAfee and voices his optimism for Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs this season. It was Aug. 10 inside Bercy Arena, on the outskirts of Paris, where 28 minutes earlier the 20-year-old Frenchman and the host nation had nearly upset the star-studded Team USA.
Back in Paris, Wembanyama's silver medal dangled from his neck as he walked off the floor sporting a Team France Le Coq Sportif sweatsuit. Eyes still moist with tears, he couldn't help but think about what is to come.San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, the reigning Rookie of the Year, averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals last season.
So, the thinking goes, a premier setup man like Paul controlling the offense should alleviate some of those woes with smart basketball decisions and the discipline to resist forcing the ball to Wembanyama, who draws so much attention in late-game situations that other Spurs are often left wide-open. After all, Paul owns the designation as one of the NBA's all-time great clutch performers.
Over the past five seasons, just 50 players have hoisted 200-plus shots in clutch time. Paul ranks No. 3 among that group in field goal percentage , behind"Being on the court with him feels like he's got things in control," Wembanyama said just after the duo made its preseason debut together in their win over Orlando."It's reassuring, and it's one more teammate I can rely on in tough moments. The most important thing is he's willing to tell us things.
As a by-product, Wembanyama added an additional 25 pounds from his listed rookie weight of 210 pounds.said."If you push him off his spot, he's comfortable shooting the shots. Nobody is going to block his jump shot, obviously. Last year, if he got pushed off, it was a tough fadeaway. Now, he seems solid."Wembanyama likely stashed some tricks up his sleeves over the summer, too.
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