Calling Victor Wembanyama’s dominance as a rookie historic would be a massive understatement.
The Frenchman led the league in blocks at 3.6 a game, becoming just the second rookie to accomplish that feat. He blocked more shots per game than an entire team (the Miami Heat). He recorded a 5×5 game, joining an exclusive list of just 15 players ever to post that statline. He led the young Spurs in total points, rebounds, steals, blocks, field goals made, and free throws made. He even has a chance at winning Defensive Player of the Year, something no freshman has done in league history.
The list of records he set and insane stats he put up this year goes on forever. Wembanyama is a supernatural talent on track to outperform the insurmountable expectations put on him. He’s the future of the league, the future of basketball, and he’s so good that calling him transcendent would be disgraceful.
Wembanyama’s received no shortage of coverage and recognition this year, and rightfully so. And yet, lost in all the hype surrounding his size, defense, shooting, and unbelievable highlights has been another elite skill of his: his passing.
Outside of Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis, you’d be hard pressed to find a better big man passer than Wembanyama. He ranked seventh in assists per game amongst centers for the season, but the straight assist numbers alone don’t do him justice. Let’s roll the tape.
Wembanyama’s unreal size is a huge weapon in his passing attack. His alien-like length allows him to reach the ball through tight gaps that most players can’t. He’s a wicked bounce passer who sizzles the ball through impossibly small windows. If players had NBA2K badges in real life, Wemby would have hall of fame needle threader.
His towering height lets him see right over defenders and send the rock flying right over their heads. In the same way they say tall quarterbacks have an edge in football, Wemby has an advantage as a passer because he can survey the floor from above.
One can’t be a good passer off physical tools alone, though. Wembanyama has third-eye vision and can dish dimes with pinpoint accuracy. He sees the court like a point guard and is always aware of where his teammates are. He’s capable of making every kind of pass— he ranks in the 100th percentile of passing versatility, via BBall Index. Wemby would rock as a rock-swinger at any size.
Wembanyama is phenomenal as a pure passer, but what makes him truly special in that department is his playmaking. He doesn’t just capitalize on advantages created by others, Wemby warps defenses and gets his teammates open. When he’s on the court, everybody eats.
Because he’s such a scoring threat, opposing teams send the kitchen sink at Wembanyama defensively. The big fella often sees two, three, even four defenders when he catches the ball. Whenever there’s a double team, that means someone’s open, and Wemby finds that free man consistently.
Further, Wembanyama attracts extra defensive attention when he drives to the rim. No one man can stop him from scoring in the paint, so whenever he’s getting downhill, help defense rushes to step up. Even though he could probably score through all the defenders in his path, Wemby unselfishly dumps the ball off to teammates waiting eagerly in the dunker spot or behind the arc.
The most outstanding part of Wembanyama’s playmaking is his ability to direct the pick-and-roll. He’s comfortable handling the ball and making reads out of basketball’s most common and dangerous action.
Early in the season, Wemby struggled a lot with pressure and had turnover problems. Because of that presumed chink in his armor, defenses often choose to blitz him to try to force him to cough the ball up.
That weakness is no more, though. When Wembanyama faces a biltz, he just calmly zips the ball to the roll man for an easy two. The fact that he patched that hole in the middle of the season speaks to his work ethic and his hunger to become one of the greats.
Based on scoring alone, Victor Wembanyama is a human cheat code. He can score from anywhere and there’s nothing you can do about it. His playmaking, though, is what will make him one of the best offensive players in history once he hits his prime. So when you’re discussing Wemby’s greatness, don’t forget to mention his passing, because it’s just as incredible as the rest of his game.
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