Mitch Johnson answers Spurs Nation's Wemby post-up question with accountability and clarity

In year four of Victor Wembanyama's career, Spurs fans want to see the French superstar dominate the lane. "He's 7'11"! Just throw it to him in the paint and let him dunk the basketball," is what they shout after every loss or missed shot.

There's some legitimacy to that train of thought, but ahead of San Antonio's first road game of the season in Dallas, we asked Mitch Johnson why it's not as easy as it sounds. His answer was thoughtful and illuminating.

"Three things can be true. Defense can be physical and make him work for it...Victor can be better at times, using his leverage or where he catches it, or slowing down or facing up... I can do a better job at putting the team and Victor specifically in better spots to create advantages early." - Mitch Johnson

Spurs fans must give the team time round out Wemby's game

His nickname is "the Alien" because he can do so many things. That's why everyone wanted the right to draft him in the summer of 2023. We were all enamored by his ability to shoot step-back threes and dribble like a guard before he pulled up. He's not going to completely remove those things from his bag, and quite frankly, he shouldn't. Not entirely.

Peak Wemby will still do all of the things that have always made him special, but he'll pick his spots much better. Right now, he's still working on knowing when to use what, but even more pertinent, he's still sharpening those skills. But the Spurs can't focus only on developing Vic in their current situation. That's the rub with having so many talented but extremely young guys.

San Antonio has a lot going on right now. They want to win, but none of their core players are finished products. De'Aaron Fox is the only one in his prime. That's why everything looks effortless for a healthy Swipa. The other guys are still developing, including the second-year head coach, and a run to the NBA Finals doesn't change that.

The encouraging part is knowing they're aware of their shortcomings. They're aware of where they need to focus their attention and energy, but they're also trying to find ways to win games while doing it.

Usually, a contender with a young star only has one to bring along. The Silver and Black have three, and you could call it four if you include Carter Bryant. That's a juggling act that any circus extraordinaire would struggle with at times.

Losing is never fun, so ideally, they'll figure out how to get some Ws during this process, but the takeaway for questions about all aspects of their stars' games that need work is that they know, and they're working on it.

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