Which position Victor Wembanyama will end up playing in the NBA is still up for discussion, but after two days of training camp the San Antonio Spurs are taking the time to figure out which one is best.
SAN ANTONIO — The position in which Victor Wembanyama end up playing in the NBA is still up for discussion, but after two days of training camp it seems clear that the San Antonio Spurs They are fine with taking the time to figure out what is best.
Two days after coach Gregg Popovich said one of the “interesting” questions of camp will be determining whether Victor Wembanyama Whether he’s a center, power forward or small forward, the No. 1 overall pick gave insight into how he’s being used.
“Needless to say, sometimes I’m playing the same role as (point guard) Tre Jones, sometimes the same role as (center) Zach Collins, sometimes as (shooting guard/forward) Devin Vassell,” he said Victor Wembanyama Tuesday afternoon.
Victor Wembanyama during the San Antonio Spurs’ media day prior to the start of their training camp. Photo: Getty
“There’s really no limitations. On a lot of set pieces, on a lot of plays, it really depends on where you are. But I can be the point guard just like I can be the small forward. It doesn’t matter.”
Victor Wembanyama He said there hasn’t been much experimentation with lineups so quickly in camp, but the team doesn’t play a preseason game until Monday, when they travel to Oklahoma City.
One area where the team was able to use different lineups was in the open runs the players did before training camp.
That time also gave Victor Wembanyama the opportunity to get used to his new companions.
“It was very helpful getting to know each other,” Wembanyama said. “I think the game is freer in those open races. You can really see the personality on the court of my teammates. It’s been good, but I’m sure it will be more intense and very, very useful in just a couple of days.”
Veteran forward Doug McDermott had a close experience with Victor Wembanyama during those open races that showed him how impactful the rookie could be in his first season.
“I came off a handoff in an open gym a couple of weeks ago and I thought I had an open 3-pointer and all of a sudden an arm comes out of nowhere and grabs the ball out of the air,” McDermott said. “So it’s pretty special.”
McDermott joked that he doesn’t feel so bad if he gets beaten on defense now that he knows he has Wembanyama behind him to correct any mistakes.
“I mean it’s amazing to see,” McDermott said. “He does some things that you can’t really explain. The fans will be surprised. He’s very coordinated for how tall he is and he’s a very unselfish player, he can make any play and is comfortable shooting from anywhere.”
Los Spurs They’ve focused a lot on defense over the first two days of camp, and Wembanyama said a lot of information is coming at him at a rapid pace.
But even as he digests it and asks for more, the trainers try to slow him down.
“Honestly, I’ve talked to the coaches about how to get more information and they keep telling me not to worry and that everything will be natural,” he said. Victor Wembanyama. “Eventually it will come.”
Wembanyama said a lot of the defensive concepts are things he hasn’t seen before, but he’s doing his best to absorb them all.
“And it’s hard, but you have to be focused when you’re on the court because if you lose focus for a second, you’re going to be screwed for the next 15 minutes,” Wembanyama said.
The Frenchman indicated that if someone makes a mistake (and he wasn’t going to name any names) on something that a coach specifically told you to do or not do, each player must get on the line and make a downward and backward movement.
While he said he didn’t make the team run yet, he did say Popovich had yelled at him.
“Yes, it came later than expected, but yes. Finally,” Wembanyama said with a smile. “I’m glad he yelled at me.”
2023-10-05 07:54:41
#Spurs #analyze #position #court #Wemby
