Gilbert Arenas Exposes Victor Wembanyama’s Flawed Offensive Approach

This is an interesting observation about Victor Wembanyama’s shot creation patterns. From the point he receives the ball, the big man has a tendency to swing through and go left, opening the option to hit a step-back fadeaway. This also gives him a chance to beat players on the drive and draw a foul, but if he is cut off, a pump serves as an easy bailout.

In some ways, this is still a rational approach. But when he’s going right, Victor Wembanyama doesn’t seem to have as much versatility, often rushing his move and forcing up a shot in an attempt to secure second-chance points.

Given Victor Wembanyama’s size, Gilbert Arenas couldn’t fathom why the Spurs’ center wouldn’t simply remain in a high pickup position and evaluate the situation before initiating his offense.

“Just get the ball and sit here [high pickup],” he continued. “You have different moves; you have a different package for different people who are guarding you. That’s why I said first play – backdoor. Second play – shot. Third play – pump fake drive.”

For all of Victor Wembanyama’s versatility as a floor-stretching big man, he won’t be able to maximize his potential unless he has a more organized offense. While working on his post moves would certainly help him get there, Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood agreed on one point: he needs a set of go-to moves.

Haywood elaborated on this point using Dirk Nowitzki as a prime example, stating:

“Wemby is one of the better young players in the league. But if he wants to be a guy that starts winning championships consistently, it starts with him dominating the league from 15 ft. on in and having a skill set move.”

“I take it back to old school, Dirk. Dirk was like, ‘Man, I’m not playing back to the basket; jump hooking like I’m Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But that one-leg fadeaway carried us.”

Dirk Nowitzki’s signature one-leg fadeaway was one of the most effective shots in the forward’s arsenal. Since it utilized his unique shooting action and length, making it virtually unstoppable, Nowitzki routinely used it against opponents to establish a scoring rhythm.

Apart from how useful it was in helping Nowitzki assert himself, Haywood noted that it helped his teammates, too.

“When the game slows down… five minutes to play, it’s a tight game. We’re going to throw the ball to you right here. Everybody needs to know what you do. I’m going to tell you the significance of Dirk’s fadeaway jumper. Because we knew what he was going to do, it allowed the role players to know where to go.”

On paper, a signature move seems like a flashy tool players use to showcase their skill. However, as Haywood describes it, it is the foundation on which critical plays are built.

In this light, having a go-to move would not only transform Victor Wembanyama’s offensive game, but it would also greatly enhance San Antonio’s production in late-game situations. Given the quality of players in the Spurs’ rotation, the manner in which the team builds off Wembanyama’s gravity could be the difference between winning and losing.

Overall, it is difficult to disagree with Arenas or Haywood, especially when noting Victor Wembanyama’s offensive shortcomings (12 PTS, 13 REB, 6 BLK, 1-13 FG) against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Spurs’ season-opener. Given the need for a reliable mid-post game, the 22-year-old would be urged to reorganize his offense.