THE San Antonio Spurs are delighted with the rise of the second-year center Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama had an incredible debut season which saw him win the NBA Rookie of the Year awardOf course, the much-vaunted center isn’t perfect and still has room for improvement. NBA legend and former Los Angeles Lakers star Shaquille O’Neal He explained why he doesn’t think Wembanyama will be dominant in the future.
One of the key skills that sets the Spurs center apart from other players his size is his ability to shoot the basket. However, that ability is the reason Shaq don’t think Wembanyama will take over as some believe.
“Wemby is a great player. But I don’t really think you can be dominant when you shoot a lot. I think if he was a 7-foot-10 inside player, the answer would be yes. But when you shoot, you’re always going to go up and down,” O’Neal told The Pat McAfee Show.
Shaquille O’Neal’s thought process might stem from the era he played in, which was less perimeter-centric than the NBA’s 2024 era. O’Neal was a two-way interior force, which helped him win three championships with the Lakers alongside Kobe Bryant.
At 7’10”, Victor Wembanyama has the size to compete in the paint like few others, but his apparent emphasis on jump shots, as mentioned by Shaq, could prevent him from reaching his full potential. While that prediction is easy to make, Wembanyama’s versatility is a major asset. Fans got a glimpse of what he could do in his first year with the Spurs.
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Wembanyama may not be as strong in the paint as Shaq once was, but he’s going to get stronger. He has the potential to be great inside and out. Wembanyama’s future performance will tell a lot about whether or not Shaq’s opinion is correct.
Regardless, the former Lakers legend and basketball fans everywhere are eager to see what the Spurs center can do as he progresses in his career.
Christopher Smith is a sportswriter who primarily covers the Chicago Sky, NBA, NCAA basketball, and NFL for ClutchPoints. Originally from Aurora, Illinois, he attended Creighton University and has written for Last Word on Sports and FanSided.
