NBA Finals crash course should force Wembanyama to confront glaring limitation

The end of Victor Wembanyama's explosive third season was a heartbreaker. The Spurs lost in a hectic five-game series against the Knicks, giving the Frenchman a harsh but necessary lesson: he needs to be more decisive when the ball is in his hands.

Now, Wemby is just 22 years old. There is no better time to stomach a brutal NBA Finals loss than now. Many stars don't even get to this stage until they're at least 25. SGA, Giannis, Jokic, Jaylen Brown, and Anthony Davis will tell you that. Victor's upside and potential are still sky-high. Don't let this series make you think otherwise.

Great players need moments like these to confront their limitations and come back stronger on the next go-around. The 2026 NBA Finals served as a canon event for Victor, pushing him to become the player he's meant to be.

Wemby's lack of decision-making showed in fourth quarters

One of the most glaring issues that Wemby faced throughout this series was his lackluster fourth-quarter production. He struggled with scoring and efficiency, which was a big reason why the Spurs couldn't close out games.

San Antonio needed him to step up as a reliable offensive threat to stave off the Knicks' dominant fourth-quarter runs, and he didn't deliver. Victor was severely limited in off-ball actions and as a shot creator. This means one thing: he needs to do a better job finding his attack points as a scorer.

It was easy for New York to confine him late in games because he didn't have reliable spots to operate in. If he wasn't available for lobs or dump-off passes at the rim, he settled for three-pointers and reckless downhill drives, resulting in several wasted possessions for the Spurs.

Victor's biggest focus points as a scorer next season

What should those attack points be for Victor next season? What spots does he need to go to if he can't make his threes or find alley-oops at the basket? I believe sharpening his face-up game will be the next development in his offensive arsenal.

This does a multitude of things. For one, it allows him to shoot easily over defenders at a decent range from the rim. It also gives him the space to operate as a bit of a playmaker from inside the three-point line. Mitch Johnson can deploy off-ball actions to give Wemby options if he's being guarded well one-on-one or if opposing coaches throw multiple bodies at him.

Adding this to his repertoire allows him to slow the game down a bit and be more decisive in big moments. The good news is he already had flashes of brilliance as a face-up player this year. He made several big plays with this part of his game; now it's time for him to sharpen it.

Victor still has a long way to go as an offensive player. The Spurs' dominant playoff run from the first round to the West Finals made people forget that reality, but the series against the Knicks made it tough to ignore.

But there's no need to overreact. At his young age, these types of butt-kickings are necessary for a player to grow even more. If he applies what he learned in the Finals, he will undoubtedly be even better next season.

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