OKC loss reveals troubling trend developing early for Wembanyama

Spurs center Victor Wembanyama recorded a career-low six points and a career-low in shot attempts with five in San Antonio's 105-93 loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. While Wembanyama missed a brief period with an injury and has openly been struggling with sinus infections, both the Thunder and Houston Rockets have laid down the blueprint to stop the Rookie of the Year.

Teams are sending everything they have to stop Victor

Opposing teams have picked up early that if they put a smaller player on Wemby and send multiple bodies to defend the seven-foot-five Frenchman, he struggles to create looks in the paint, which forces him to pass the ball or take a deep shot. What's just as demoralizing is that Wembanyama is struggling to work his way through contact and get to the free-throw line.

Four of Wembanyama's six points against the Thunder came at the foul line, and all of his scoring came in the first half. The second-year center is having trouble getting around the basket since teams are throwing double teams every time he gets the ball. It was a problem against OKC and a problem against Houston when Wembanyama recorded 14 points on 6/14 shooting.

The solid interior presence is causing Wembanyama to play more around the perimeter. He's shot 21 three-pointers through four games and has only nailed four (19%). Not only are his stats hindered, but the Spurs' offense is as well.

The Spurs desperately need shooters

General manager Brian Wright added some fresh faces this past summer in guards Stephon Castle and Chris Paul and forward Harrison Barnes. The additions added more experience and versatility to this inexperienced Spurs team, but they didn't completely solve their biggest issue last season, which was three-point shooting.

Paul and Barnes have been above-average three-point shooters their entire careers; they both have career three-point percentages above 37%. But the additions have not been enough from the team's three-point percentage of 33.6%, which is the ninth-lowest in the league.

One crucial piece the Spurs are missing is guard Devin Vassell, who is in the final stages of rehabbing a stress reaction in the third metatarsal head in his right foot. His presence has been sorely missed since the offense has lacked shot-creators.

With Vassell out, teams will be focused on Wembanyama because they're well aware that the rest of the roster doesn't have the firepower to keep up offensively. Opponents are making anybody, but Wembanyama beat them.

We're just four games into the 2024-25 season, so there's no need to hit the panic button yet. With Vassell and Tre Jones missing some time, it's going to be hard to make any sort of definitive assumptions. Either way, Spurs fans would like to see their franchise guy get some momentum on the offensive end of the floor.

Wembanyama and the Spurs take the floor again in their first back-to-back of the season on Halloween night against the Utah Jazz from the Delta Center at 8 p.m. (CDT).