Wembanyama gets to an unwanted 13 with Spurs

The situation appears to be less than optimal for Victor Wembanyama. At least, when it comes to justifying the forecasts with which the unicorn entered the NBA. It is true that everything is unfolding as planned: impressive stats, carefully organized playing minutes, just the right amount of ball involvement to balance individual prominence with teamwork, and a mix of plays designed for him alongside those for the rest of the team. Moreover, he finds himself in a franchise theoretically exemplary for guiding the final steps of his development, led by a coach perfectly suited for making the leap to the top table in Gregg Popovich, and a clear path to transform a prospect into a star.

In theory, everything aligns. The pieces fit, the statistics persist, and Wemby is seemingly growing, gradually and steadily. Yet, a lingering question arises: what is going wrong?

Where are the Wembanyama wins with Spurs?

There is a sense, albeit speculative, that the player fails to fully flourish. It remains uncertain whether he is being restrained or if the Spurs have decided to keep it that way. Despite averaging over 19 points, nearly 10 rebounds, and approaching 3 blocks per night, with 8 double-doubles and effective play near the basket, his shooting ability is under scrutiny (around 45% in field goals and below 30% in three-pointers).

Popovich continues to insist on a significant number of outside shots (more than five attempts per game), and he has not yet faced opponents who impose a considerable physical toll. Part of this is attributed to the limited playing time (an average of 30 minutes), sparse post opportunities (where he excels the most), and the management of his role in the Popovich style – a man who seems to have aged less gracefully than others, steering a franchise while doing as he pleases. Such is the nature of legends, occasionally finding themselves in morally questionable conclusions.

Hawks edge out Spurs

In one way or another, the Spurs succumbed to the Hawks (135-137), extending their losing streak to an unprecedented 13 consecutive defeats, unimaginable in the golden years of the dynasty. They haven’t won since 2 November (a complete month without victories), and, disconcertingly, there seems to be little concern. In this latest outing, they came close: leading by 15 points at one stage and still holding a 5-point advantage (117-112) with eight minutes remaining.

They had opportunities until the very end, with Jeremy Sochan, who had a stellar performance, attempting a late-game steal from the Hawks. The referees correctly called an offensive foul, ending the Spurs’ chances. They persisted until the final moments but came away with nothing. Now languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference, far from their former glory.

A Young spark

Trae Young (captured in some photos with Wembanyama for posterity) delivered an exceptional, marvelous performance, capped off by a defensive play at the end: 45 points, 4 rebounds, and 14 assists. He was supported by Dejounte Murray (24+3+2, with 5 steals) and led a team where the entire starting lineup scored in double digits, shooting over 50% in field goals, 40% in three-pointers, and 85% in free throws.

The Hawks, despite fewer rebounds (37 to 47) and assists (24 to 34) than the Spurs, capitalized on their opponents’ 21 turnovers, inflicting damage and securing a significant victory. This win comes as a relief after consecutive losses to the Celtics and Cavaliers, with upcoming challenges against the Bucks in Milwaukee. Their current record stands at 9-9, securing the ninth position in the Eastern Conference. Expectations were not low, but perhaps not exceedingly high either.

At the Spurs, it’s a bit of the usual story, mundane statistics adding to the résumé but not translating into victories. Keldon Johnson contributed 22 points and 11 rebounds, Zach Collins added 11, and an incredible, titanic, and marvelous performance from Sochan with 33 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists (shooting an impressive 12 out of 14 from the field and 3 for 3 from beyond the arc), showcasing one of the best games of his career. Devin Vassell also made a noteworthy contribution off the bench with 25 points.

Wembanyama numbers

As for Wembanyama, he recorded 21 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks, shooting 9 out of 16 from the field but struggling from three-point range with 1 out of 5. However, an inexplicable trend persists, particularly in the disappointing final quarter where he managed only 3 points, shooting 1 for 5 overall and missing all 3 attempts from beyond the arc. It remains puzzling that he tends to rely more on three-pointers, his weaker area, when the game tightens.

San Antonio Spurs

Stats

26 Dominick Barlow
28 Charles Bassey
22 Malaki Branham
30 Julian Champagnie
23 Zach Collins
4 Devonte' Graham
3 Keldon Johnson
33 Tre Jones
54 Sandro Mamukelashvili
16 Cedi Osman
10 Jeremy Sochan
24 Devin Vassell
1 Victor Wembanyama
14 Blake Wesley

Stats

	Min	Pts	TR	OR	DR	Ast	Los	Rec	Blk	S1	S2	S3	RF	CF	Val
26 Dominick Barlow	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
28 Charles Bassey	4	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	3	0
22 Malaki Branham	17	2	3	0	3	3	3	0	1	0/0	1/3	0/2	0	1	0
30 Julian Champagnie	20	15	3	1	2	0	1	0	0	0/0	0/0	5/8	0	2	0
23 Zach Collins	33	11	2	0	2	7	3	0	0	4/4	2/3	1/2	0	3	0
4 Devonte' Graham	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
3 Keldon Johnson	32	22	11	4	7	3	2	1	0	4/5	6/12	2/3	0	2	0
33 Tre Jones	24	3	2	0	2	7	2	0	0	0/1	0/2	1/3	0	1	0
54 Sandro Mamukelashvili	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
16 Cedi Osman	15	3	1	0	1	2	1	0	0	0/0	0/2	1/5	0	3	0
10 Jeremy Sochan	35	33	8	3	5	6	5	1	0	6/6	9/11	3/3	0	5	0
24 Devin Vassell	27	25	4	0	4	4	2	0	0	5/5	4/4	4/10	0	1	0
1 Victor Wembanyama	29	21	12	2	10	2	2	2	4	2/2	8/11	1/5	0	1	0
14 Blake Wesley	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0

Atlanta Hawks

Stats

41 Saddiq Bey
13 Bogdan Bogdanovic
15 Clint Capela
24 Bruno Fernando
2 Trent Forrest
14 AJ Griffin
12 De'Andre Hunter
25 Garrison Mathews
32 Wesley Matthews
8 Patty Mills
5 Dejounte Murray
17 Onyeka Okongwu
11 Trae Young

Stats

	Min	Pts	TR	OR	DR	Ast	Los	Rec	Blk	S1	S2	S3	RF	CF	Val
41 Saddiq Bey	33	13	4	2	2	0	1	3	0	0/0	2/4	3/4	0	3	0
13 Bogdan Bogdanovic	31	14	2	0	2	3	1	2	0	2/2	3/6	2/4	0	4	0
15 Clint Capela	22	12	9	4	5	1	2	0	1	0/0	6/9	0/0	0	4	0
24 Bruno Fernando	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
2 Trent Forrest	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
14 AJ Griffin	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
12 De'Andre Hunter	21	12	6	0	6	2	3	1	0	4/4	1/4	2/4	0	6	0
25 Garrison Mathews	12	3	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0/0	0/0	1/4	0	1	0
32 Wesley Matthews	14	3	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	0/0	0/0	1/1	0	1	0
8 Patty Mills	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
5 Dejounte Murray	34	24	3	0	3	2	0	5	0	2/2	8/17	2/4	0	1	0
17 Onyeka Okongwu	28	11	8	2	6	0	1	0	0	4/5	2/3	1/3	0	4	0
11 Trae Young	39	45	4	0	4	14	2	2	0	13/16	13/20	2/9	0	1	0