From Dominance to Doubts: Victor Wembanyama's Unexpected Second-Year Challenges

It hasn't been easy for the San Antonio Spurs' towering superstar in year two.

Nov 7, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) dribbles against Portland Trail Blazers guard Rayan Rupert (21) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

What’s going on with Victor Wembanyama?

If you had told anyone last season that the San Antonio Spurs' French phenom would take a noticeable step back in his second year, they’d have thought you were crazy.

After all, he’d just come off an Olympic performance where he led France to the gold medal game in dominant fashion.

Heading into this season, he was the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year after finishing second to fellow French center Rudy Gobert as a rookie. Some even had him as a dark-horse MVP candidate. Everything pointed to him dominating this season.

And, to be fair, he still might—he’s young, and the potential is there. But his struggles so far in year two have been impossible to ignore.

An opposing team scout told ESPN's Tim Bontemps that, at this stage, Wembanyama is “not impactful at all on offense.”

Nov 7, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots against Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

As a rookie, Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points on 46.5 percent shooting (32.5 percent from three) across 71 starts. However, his shooting numbers have taken a dip this season. Through nine games, he’s averaging 17.7 points while shooting 41.3 percent from the field and just 22.6 percent from beyond the arc.

On Thursday night, Wembanyama put up 12 points, eight rebounds, two assists, four steals, and three blocks in 32 minutes, shooting 4-for-13 from the field. Outside of his height advantage, he struggled to make a strong impact on either end.

Many are surprised by this apparent regression.

Despite his towering 7-foot-4 frame and the offensive skills he showed last season, Wembanyama has been surprisingly passive, often settling for contested threes instead of using his physical tools to dominate.

“It’s just to keep playing my game, and my game consists of shooting threes, too,” Wembanyama said on Thursday. “So if I’m open, I’m just going to keep shooting them, and I’m going to make them.”

The Spurs will have another chance to get Wembanyama back on track on Saturday evening when they host the Utah Jazz at home.

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