Introducing The Frenchise: Victor Wembanyama Film Breakdown (DraftPunk).
What makes the European sensation the best NBA prospect since LeBron James?
Victor Wembanyama, also known as The Frenchise™ (to me), is an absolute unicorn – and I don’t mean that lightly. That term has been thrown around to mean anyone who is tall and does things that tall guys don’t generally do. Kristaps Porzingis is a 7’2 shooter, 7’1 Aleksej Pokusevski can handle it a little bit. Unicorns.
A few others share the moniker, but no one truly fits the bill like French superstar center Victor Wembanyama, a 7’5 skyscraper of a man with wing skills; he can put the ball on the deck, shoot off of pin-down screens, attack the basket, EuroStep, and generally move with an insane amount of dexterity for a guy that’s 6’8, let alone his height.
It really is unbelievable to watch. He’s the incarnation of an NBA 2K MyPlayer Mode creation. Of course he landed in San Antonio, under the guidance of the best coach in professional basketball history Greg Popovich, one of the best big men ever in Tim Duncan, and a host of other Spurs legends. Tony Parker, a fellow Frenchman, is involved in the process as well.
Season tickets flew off the shelves so quickly once the draft lottery was announced that I personally know people who were unable to secure theirs despite trying to that night. Wembanyama is that level of prospect. He’s a one-man transition stopper, an offensive juggernaut, and an uncannily skilled big man.
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Offensive Strength: Perimeter Skill/Self-Creation.
At 7’5 with an 8’ wingspan, Victor Wembanyama’s skillset goes far beyond that of a traditional big’s. He can handle, he can shoot, he can create, and he can move fluidly like I’ve never seen with some one his size.
Watch some examples below of Wembanyama’s ability to shoot the ball off the dribble, utilizing step-backs and other moves requiring high athleticism, especially for some one at his size. The move below looks like something Jayson Tatum would do; he fakes initially before putting the ball on the deck, hitting a spin move before draining the midrange jumper.
Note the ease with which he gets around. Unlike a typical big man, he’s not labored in his movements.
Here’s another example of his ridiculous positional agility. He handles the ball all the way up the floor before hitting a crossover, getting low enough to sell the fake before rising up over the defender and nailing the shot.
The effortlessness with which he handles and shoots the ball is an indication of his athleticism, as well as his feel for the game.
Here’s an absolute circus shot from Wembanyama below, a one-legged three-pointer on which he’s undercut, drawing the foul and the opportunity for a four-point play. The handle once again impresses.
Given his shooting splits on the year, .561/.275/.828, his three-point shooting is not elite yet, but his free-throw percentages lend credence to the theory that he can improve from beyond the arc. If he can hit shots like this, he can hit the three consistently.
The fadeaway jumper is an impressive part of a deep bag from the future no. 1 overall pick, and given his height and release point, it is virtually impossible to contest. It’s also deadly accurate – on the season, he averaged 1.06 points per shot on attempts from 17 feet to the three-point line. His ability to get to his spots with his handle makes it so difficult to defend.
One more example of his prowess from the midrange is demonstrated below. The step-back fade is a staple of his offensive arsenal.
The ability to create for himself may be the single most important aspect to Wembanyama’s offensive game. The handle and shooting skill are off the charts for his position.
Watch him drive the lane here. Of course, he picks up his dribble at the three-point line, and, within two steps, is finishing at the rim. The length of his stride is truly outrageous.
Though his three-point shooting is around 27%, he still demonstrates good (not perfect) shot mechanics on deep attempts. Watch spot-up take below.
His midrange game is so deadly that it is arguably his most effective offensive tool, sort of like Kevin Durant. I’m not saying that Wembanyama can shoot like KD can, of course. I am saying though that there are similarities.
Though his three-pointer needs work, the fact that he’s so knockdown from 15 feet combined with his free-throw shooting numbers makes me believe that he will be able to greatly improve from outside.
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Offensive Strength: Interior/Rim-Running Skill
Being 7’5, naturally, VW is going to possess interior skills on the offensive end. His touch is immaculate, and he was 90th percentile in rim finishing in his league, averaging 1.43 points per shot from this distance.
He isn’t just a great athlete with incredible size, but he’s also very gifted with post moves. He can back down, spin, and shoot over post defenders, like he does below. It’s Hakeem Olajuwon-like, reminiscent of the famous “Dream Shake” move that he invented and popularized in the ‘90s.
Here’s another clip of some nice interior finishing by Wembanyama. He backs down his defender before slipping inside and laying it in off the glass. The buzzword here is once again “fluidity” – watch the agility with which he spins to the rim and scores. It’s such a clean motion.
Again, he shows ability to score down low when fed in the post here. He’s shifty with the moves – a slight fake one way proceeding a full spin to the opposite direction fools the defender completely. Once Wembanyama has the inside position, it’s way too late for the opposing player. Slam dunk.
Being 7’5 and as athletic as he is, it makes sense that he would be an excellent rim runner and lob threat when running the floor in transition. The defensive ability to block shots and create live-ball turnovers (which we’ll get to in its own section later) lends itself to fast-break opportunities, many of which Wembanyama finishes, like he does below.
Here’s another look at his transition play. He runs the floor in perfect position, and with his foot speed combined with the length of his gait, he’s able to beat the defender to the rim despite the defender’s head start.
On the offensive end, Wembanyama is incredibly versatile and multitalented, a guy that could easily average over 20 points per game in his rookie season, and upwards of 28+ during his peak. The unlimited, multifaceted offensive game from VW is the primary reason he’s going to go no. 1, and would in probably 99% of drafts in NBA history.
Despite his height, he is essentially playing the small forward role on offense, spending quite a bit of time on the perimeter for a guy that stands 7’5. The shooting stroke, agility, and handle separate him from the rest of what is already a pretty elite draft class.
He’s not just an offensive weapon, however. In fact, considering how good his offensive game is, he may be even more impactful on the defensive side.
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Defensive Strength: One-Man Transition Stopper
Despite his excellent skills as a rim protector (which we’ll get to), Wembanyama is every bit as good playing defense when backpedaling in the fast-break.
Watch him singlehandedly shut down the opposing team’s transition possession. Though he initially loses his man, he recovers in time to reject the shot at the rim, resulting in a turnover and gained possession by Mets92.
Here’s another clip of Wembanyama’s defense against a downhill driver. Like Miley Cyrus, VW comes in like a wrecking ball here. The chase-down block is a major part of Wembanyama’s game on the defensive end.
Overall, he’s a great perimeter/transition defender, utilizing his physical attributes to maximize his potential on this end.
This isn’t his only ability on the defensive side, though.
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Defensive Strength: Rim Protection
Given his physical measureables, it’s not all that surprising that Victor Wembanyama is an elite, elite rim protector. The fluidity and athletic ability combined with the size, timing, and awareness make him a generational defensive talent.
Watch him absorb the contact below, staying in position before raising an arm up to reject the shot. Metropolitans 92 then recovers the ball, giving them a fast-break opportunity.
Another clip, another block. VW averaged 3.1 rejections per game last season, making him the best rim protector in his league. Watch how he avoids jumping on the first player’s attempt, keeping himself in good position to defend the other post player after the dump-off pass.
Here’s another nice rejection here from The Frenchise™. The post defense is impressive, as he doesn’t give up any space to the offensive player. Instead, he stays in position and rises up to block the shot, demonstrating impressive timing.
Below, notice the speed with which Wembanyama recovers after losing his man. The fact that he’s two steps behind the offensive player ends up meaning nothing, as he blocks the shot anyway.
In this clip, he stays in good defensive positioning, even after the opposing player gets a step on him with the crossover.
The ability to recover defensively is game-changing. Even if a player beats him off the dribble, he can still chase down the player from behind and get a rejection. His physical attributes are unique; there has never been a Victor Wembanyama before.
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Offensive Strength: Playmaking
Of course, Wembanyama can distribute as well. On the season, he averaged 2.4 assists per game, and while he averaged 2.6 turnovers, he still demonstrated some solid creation skills.
Watch below how he hits the outlet pass after recovering the ball on defense – this is an important skill because of the amount of live-ball turnovers Wembanyama forces with his 3.1 blocks and 0.7 steals per game.
He hits his man in transition for an easy lay-in here, but what stands out is the anticipation. He puts the ball right where his teammate is going, leaving it ahead instead of throwing it behind.
Here is some more evidence of VW’s passing aptitude. In this example, he initiates the offense from the elbow, taking a couple of dribbles before advancing towards the basket and dumping it off to the other big man.
This is a Draymond-Green-like sequence for Wembanyama, who is a triple-threat (shoot, drive, pass) in this situation. The versatility makes him so difficult to defend, because unlike most bigs, Wembanyama has options.
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Strength: Rebounding.
Given his size and adeptness, it’s no surprise that Victor Wembanyama is a fantastic rebounder as well. Averaging 10.6 boards per game, which led the league he was in, VW can do it on both ends of the floor. He averaged two offensive boards per game compared to 8.6 defensive rebounds.
You’ve probably seen the clip before on SportsCenter – it’s one of his most iconic plays, a step-back three turned into an offensive rebound and put-back. This sequence is an excellent illustrator of Wembanyama’s overall abilities.
He shows off his handle with the between-the-legs dribble, his shooting prowess with a clean motion off the bounce, his absurd stride length, his timing, and his athleticism. This is “no. 1 pick” material right here.
He’s good at recovering the ball after rejecting shots as well. He’s always in the right position to grab the board after a block. He shows this ability off in the next clip.
Here’s another one. The length and standing reach give him such an advantage that even if he’s a bit out of position, which he rarely is anyway, he can still grab the board or contest the shot.
As I mentioned already, Wembanyama is excellent at rebounding on both the offensive and defensive ends. His ability to score on put-backs is so important in the NBA especially, where the three-pointers’ rebounds often come off the glass more aggressively.
The 7’5 frame puts him in perfect position to get the ball nearly every time.
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Even Victor Wembanyama has flaws, however. No prospect is perfect, so here are a couple of things that even he can work on.
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Needs Work: Three-Point Shooting.
Wembanyama hit 1.4 for every five attempts he took from three on average this year, good for a 27.7% rate from deep, which is not efficient.
His shooting stroke can be inconsistent, especially on ranged shots. The way he sort of “kicks out” at the end of the shot can throw off his balance.
Here, he lands on one leg, awkwardly launching an airball from deep. He lands in essentially an outstretched Tai Chi pose. Hard to land like that consistently.
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Improvement Area: Decision Making
As a young player, VW still turns it over a bit and occasionally either makes a bad read, loses his handle, or gets swarmed and turns it over. He’s going to see quite a few double teams, not just in his rookie year (partially due to a lack of other talented pieces on the Spurs), but throughout his career.
One way to get to Wembanyama is to attack him with two smaller defenders, playing with their hands low and attempting to strip the 7’5 center. They bother him here, forcing him to throw it away to the other team.
In this clip, he leaves his feet too early for the pass, meaning he has much fewer passing options once in midair. This is a common mistake for younger players who are used to being able to make plays happen regardless. He will get eaten alive in the NBA if he tries to do this, but that’s something Popovich can coach out of him.
Wembanyama can also occasionally be loose with his dribble, or lose focus and get stripped, like he does below.
Still, even with these couple of issues, Wembanyama is still one of the best prospects we’ve ever seen in any team sport.
The problems above are both fixable with good coaching. What’s important is the size, the skill, and the feel for the game; these are things that can’t be taught.
Once he becomes more consistent with his deep shot and his passing game, he will be amongst the best players in the league.
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Overall Potential.
Victor Wembanyama is a generational talent, on the same plane as a prospect as LeBron James was when James came out of high school in 2003.
The fluidity, foot speed, athleticism, ability on both ends, and overall international star-power make VW a guy that will singlehandedly elevate the San Antonio Spurs, whose market cap increased the night they won the Draft Lottery. The tank was worth it.
The Frenchise is going to have a major impact on the Association, and help to grow the game even more internationally than it already is. He’ll join a special group of overseas superstars, including 2023 Finals MVP and NBA Champ Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Giannis Antetokuonmpo (Greece), Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Joel Embiid (Cameroon), and others.
It’s Victor Wembanyama’s world. You’re just living in it.
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@KeenanWomack on Twitter.