Mastering Basics: Victor Wembanyama 'Working on Fundamentals' Ahead of Sophomore Season

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has plenty of room to continue growing as he enters his second NBA season, but as far as he's concerned, he's keeping it simple.

Matt Guzman | Sep 30, 2024

Sep 30, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama (1) poses for a photo shoot during the team's Media Day at Victory Capital Performance Center. / Matt Guzman-San Antonio Spurs On SI

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San Antonio Spurs

SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama, with both hands on his chest, thanked a San Antonio Express-News reporter for congratulating him on being named a starter for the Silver & Black.

Not an hour or so before, Gregg Popovich — bringing with him his typical witty responses — was asked a question about his sophomore star during the team's annual Media Day, and standing in front of the room, he gave his answer.

“I’m thinking Victor’s going to start,” he said. "Because I'm smart."

The decision was a no-brainer.

It was also trivial.

Naturally, Wembanyama is going to not only earn a start in every contest he's healthy, but he's also going to remain at the center of the San Antonio Spurs' concerted effort to reach contention once again.

His ever-increasing skill progression will play a large role in his overall performance, but it doesn't come without work. Over the summer, the power forward got the chance to play at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris— with veterans, no less — to not only give him a taste of unfamiliar pressure, but also what kind of physical adjustments he'd have to make.

“His aggressiveness was the big thing," Popovich explained of Wembanyama, who added 25 pounds to his frame over the offseason. “He’s understanding what it takes — what he’s going to get and what he has to give.”

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama (1) poses for a photo shoot during the team's Media Day.

The 20-year-old, however, didn't place all of his focus on improving via the Olympics. He kept it much simpler than that.

The more I grow into my career, the more I realize that it's important to work on the fundamentals," Wembanyama said. "So there's a big emphasis that (was) put on my day(s) this summer: making an advantage of really simple situations."

What exactly does that look like? Finishing, for one.

"I worked a lot on finishing at the rim," he said. "These are things that seem simple for a guard, but they're things I need to focus on."

Wembanyama hasn't ever been like other players. He stands above the rest and, most of the time, finishes above them, too. But that doesn't mean he can't learn to be more nifty.

With as many out-of-the-box plays as he makes a game, one can only imagine how much stronger he could be if the little things became almost automatic for him. His teammates certainly are.

And as far as they're concerned, that only makes him more dangerous.

"Every chunk of his game is growing," Spurs shooting guard Devin Vassell said. "It's kind of scary. ... For him to be getting better, for him to be improving, it's going to be scary for the league this year. I can tell you that."

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Published Sep 30, 2024|Modified Sep 30, 2024

MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.