We Know We’ve Never Seen Anything Like Rookie Victor Wembanyama, And Teams Will Prepare That Way
The NBA preseason laid it out for us – Victor Wembanyama, the rookie sensation, is a downright nightmare for anyone trying to score. And it is rumored he will start at power forward for the San Antonio Spurs on opening night. Picture this: a 7’4″ center who glides around like a guard, giving shooters sleepless nights. It’s the kind of scenario with the Dallas Mavericks breaking out their secret weapon – these homemade giant Wemby-like arms with gigantic hands.
These aren’t your regular mitts; they’re like boxing pads on stilts. And who’s coaching this unconventional defense tactic? None other than the legendary God Shammgod, who’s not just teaching them to defend but also screaming “WEMBY!” and charging at players attempting outside shots. Yep, the Mavs are taking extreme measures to prepare for this 19-year-old phenomenon, and for good reason. the wild thing is, you can really only prepare for this one side of the ball. We saw how difficult he is to stop offensively, but this may help prepare players a bit for the size and athleticism of the rookie phenom.
It’s official: Mavs are prepping for the Spurs, specifically 7-4 rookie Victor Wembanyama, with God Shammgod playing the role of Wemby. “Wemby! Wemby” he hollered while going out to defend Irving with his artificial Wemby length. pic.twitter.com/cKmgnP0M1n
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) October 21, 2023
Wemby Is Like No Other
If you’re still not convinced why Wembanyama went first overall, then I’m not sure what more you need. The guy isn’t just a defensive nightmare; he’s a scoring machine, too. In the preseason, he casually dropped over 19 points a game, shooting at a cool 50.8% from the field. But let’s talk defense for a second. His length alone is the stuff of nightmares, and we haven’t even factored in his insane athleticism. Remember when he swatted away five shots in a preseason showdown against the Warriors? Dallas sure does, and they’re not looking to relive that nightmare. And he’s a problem at all spots on the floor. The quickness and length to defend the perimeter. The size and length to contest at the rim. This is going to be fun to see how teams adjust.
You know you’re a special player when teams start concocting strategies to deal with you, and you haven’t even played a real NBA game yet. Wembanyama is already a force, and he’s just getting started.
