This fascinating Spurs stat proves Wembanyama is on the right track

Many fans are demoralized because the Spurs allowed the Sacramento Kings to score 140 points last night after giving up 139 to the Bulls the night before. That's somewhat understandable, but don't let it weigh you down. The fact of the matter is that San Antonio is not in a position to miss so many players and thrive. The team isn't strong enough to withstand every absence from their best player.

Chalk it up to 'things happen,' especially in an 82-game season, and move on. When you focus on the positive, you discover Victor Wembanyama is directly impacting winning this season—something he, understandably, struggled with during his rookie year. The Alien has grown as a sophomore, and the Spurs are benefiting from his playstyle.

Many Spurs' wins are tied to Wembanyama's outside shooting

The Spurs are 5-1 when Victor shoots ten or more threes, and 8-2 when he makes at least 30% of his 3-pointers. It reinforces the style of play the league has shifted toward over the past decade. You simply aren't beating many teams in the NBA these days if you can't hit a bunch of shots from beyond the arc ,and the star can't just rely on the other players on your team to do it, he must do it too.

Fortunately for Spurs fans, Wemby understands this and has been unapologetic about his shot selection. His game is a multi-faceted one, and it involves taking a lot of threes. When Dirk Nowitzki entered the league, nobody knew he would become one of the best shooting big men we've ever seen, but he did it by working hard on his craft.

Experts would never tell Dirk to stop shooting so many jumpers, yet it's been a point of contention since last season. There's something to be said for adding layers to a player's game when they have yet to master the outside shot, but he has that ability already. Dirk shot 20% from deep in his rookie season. Imagine if he let that deter him from developing the skill that made him famous.

The Rookie of the Year shot 32.5% from three during his rookie season, so he's starting with a stronger foundation than Dirk. With that being said, it's time to retire the old ways of thinking regarding things like how many threes should be taken by a team or what a big man should or shouldn't be doing.

So you should side-eye the next person who says, "If you live by the three, you die by the three," or "he's big, so he should dominate the paint." That's just not the way the game is played anymore. Bigs dominate all over the floor now. Golden State and Boston have shown you can three-ball your way to championship rings. It's a new day. Get onboard or get left at the station.