11 Outside-the-box ideas for how the Spurs can use Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio Spurs fans are likely still on cloud nine after their team won the NBA Draft Lottery. Winning the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes caps an incredible turnaround for the franchise that only started its rebuild a few seasons ago. But with a series of savvy trades, they have collected an impressive stockpile of picks. Now they are in a position to build around a potential superstar. And with the 7-foot-5 center all but guaranteed to be taken first overall, the Spurs could quickly flip the script next season.

Despite having the second-worst record in the league this season, the Spurs have plenty of young talent, and adding Wembanyama should help accelerate their rebuild dramatically. It is hard to predict whether the team will be good immediately, but San Antonio should have a bright long-term future and championship aspirations once again.

With such a unique player, soon-to-be Hall of Fame head coach Gregg Popovich should be able to find the best ways to Wembanyama. Some ideas are more obvious than others, but there are several outside-the-box approaches he should explore with Wembanyama.

11: Use Wembanyama as an inbounder

This might not be very high on the list of priorities involving Wembanyama, but it could come in handy down the road. During Tim Duncan's time with the Spurs, he developed into a reliable inbounder in pressure situations, and Popovich may use him in a similar fashion in late-game situations. He has shown some ability as a passer, and his height allows him to have a clear view of the floor.

While having him inbound may seem like it would take him out of the play, the opposing center would also be drawn away from the basket, theoretically taking away their rim protector. Also, Wembanyama can hit threes, and the Spurs can run plays in which he gets the ball back after inbounding for an open three. After all, teams tend to focus more on the players on the court, and it may allow Popovich, who is known for his ability to draw up terrific plays out of timeouts, to use some misdirection.

The more of those late-game situations, the better, since it gives the Spurs a chance to see how defenses react to Wembanyama and then respond accordingly. It also helps that San Antonio has Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell, who made big strides this season and are viable clutch options, keeping opposing teams from honing in too much on Wembanyama. That would seemingly increase the chances of San Antonio trying out Wemby as an inbounder and is definitely something to keep an eye on next season and going forward.

10: Use Wembanyama as a roll-man

Perhaps it shouldn't be an out-of-the-box idea, but it is becoming increasingly rare for big men to consistently roll to the rim after setting screens. Instead, the pick-and-roll has been replaced with pick-and-pops, with big men often hanging out near the 3-point line and waiting for a pass.

Popovich, however, has been known to zig when other coaches zig, and he could decide to use Wembanyama as the rollman more often than expected. After all, he'd be perfect for it given his length, size, and athleticism, and I know that I am not the only one who can't wait to see him finish alley-oop after alley-oop. Running more pick-and-roll requires a good playmaker to get him the ball, and the Spurs could prioritize bringing Tre Jones back on a multi-year deal.

That would ensure that they have a starting point guard that can set Wemby up, though they can eventually upgrade from him. Another option is to have Jeremy Sochan as the ballhandler, with the goal of eventually allowing the Spurs to play without a traditional point guard. Wembanyama won't just be a roll-man; far from it, but it could prove to be a simple yet effective way to get him the ball.

9 Use Wembanyama as a decoy on offense

The thought of using a potential franchise player as a decoy probably seems crazy, but it makes sense, at least in spurts. Wembanyama will be joining a team with two young and talented wings in Vassell and Johnson, who combined to average more than 40 points per game this season. With another offseason to improve, both should be even better next season, particularly with Wembanyama there to draw attention away from them.

He will still get plenty of touches, but it is far from guaranteed that he will lead the team in scoring next season or even finish second. That might actually be a good thing if it means the Spurs have a balanced offensive attack with their three best players playing off one another. His ability to space the floor could allow Johnson to turn the corner and attack the open lane, while Vassell should thrive using ball screens or handoffs from Wemby to knock down pull-up jumpers.

He would also provide vertical spacing as a lob threat, something the Spurs haven't had in ages, not to mention that he could potentially feast on offensive rebounds and dump off passes. If everything goes right next season, the Vassell-Johnson-and-Wembanyama trio should prove to be a terrific tandem and can feed off one another.

8: Give Wembanyama the green light to shoot from three

Wembanyama will soon join David Robinson and Duncan in the exclusive club of players taken number one overall by the Spurs. Like Robinson and Duncan, Wembanyama is a big man, but his game is much more perimeter-oriented than theirs was, which makes him a perfect fit to play in today's NBA.

The Spurs have developed a reputation for being averse to shooting threes due to Popovich's well-known dislike for the shot type. However, given his potential shooting ability, he could give Wembanyama the greenlight to shoot from outside. Assuming that he plays primarily at center next season, he could give the team the ultimate stretch five.

Obviously, you don't want a 7'3 big man to shoot too much from outside and negate his size, but Popovich has coached two Hall of Fame big men in Robinson and Duncan, in addition to LaMarcus Aldrige, so it seems safe to say that he will prioritize getting Wembanyama enough touches in the post. Be that as it may, his potential as a pick-and-pop and spot-up threat is definitely tantalizing and could eventually do wonders for San Antonio's offense, ensuring that they have plenty of spacing.

7: Limit Wembanyama's three-point attempts

Part of Wembanyama's appeal is that he is a seven-footer and can score in several ways. However, while he has a good-looking jumper, he is shooting just 27.5% on 5.0 threes per game, despite the 3-point line being closer than the NBA's. That probably shouldn't be cause for concern, and while Popovich might give him the green light to continue shooting from outside, he could also discourage it, at least at first.

That might not be the worst thing ever since it would ensure that Wembanyama is taking shots closer to the basket and making the most of his size. Additionally, Popovich is also well known for his ability to draw up plays to get his best players good shots, and he could help Wembanyama get a number of easy looks next season. That just might result in Wembanyama shooting fewer threes until he is fully integrated into the team's offense.

Considering that he is apparently an ambidextrous shooter, it is hard to question his shooting touch, and he is shooting nearly 82.8% on 6.3 free throw attempts per game. That suggests he could be a good shooter, but perhaps he will need time to adjust to the NBA's 3-point line as well as how opposing teams will defend him. It will be interesting to see just how many threes he will shoot as a rookie, and it may depend on how Pop decides to use him.

6: Use Wembanyama as an offensive hub

One of the most exciting aspects of the Spurs being in a position to draft Wembanyama is that it will give the team an offensive centerpiece. That doesn't necessarily mean that he will be as dominant as Robinson or Duncan were as rookies, but he could still have a big offensive impact. The Spurs will have a player with whom they can throw the ball into the post, though teams can't rely as heavily on big men as they once did.

As a result, they could look at the Sacramento Kings and use Wembanyama in a similar fashion to how Domantas Sabonis is used. Sabonis is an offensive hub for the Kings, and they rely on his playmaking on the perimeter and in the high post. Of course, the Spurs used Duncan in much the same way after the NBA changed the rules in the early 2000s, making the game more perimeter-oriented.

Using Wembanyama in direct-handoff situations with players like Vassell, Doug McDermott, and Johnson would enable the Spurs to use him more as a playmaker. Additionally, his height and court vision should allow San Antonio to use him out near the perimeter. He could use cutters for easy baskets, especially with him drawing the opposing center away from the rim. It is definitely an intriguing thought, and the Spurs should look to play around with Wembanyama.

5: Play Wembanyama at power forward

Despite being 7'3, Wembanyama may not play center full-time for the Spurs. In fact, given his shooting ability, the team could and should have him play some power forward. That was initially the plan ahead of the trade deadline before the Spurs traded Jakob Poeltl to the Toronto Raptors. However, that was only a theoretical fit, and with San Antonio knowing that they will be able to draft Wembanyama, they can actually experiment with some wacky lineups.

Assuming the team holds onto center Zach Collins, San Antonio could continue to play big while having enough shooting to hang on the offensive end. They could even experiment with point-guard-less lineups with Vassell, Johnson, Sochan, Wemby, and Collins, simply to see whether they'd work or not and to test the versatility of those lineups. Popovich has already experimented with some similar lineups this season, albeit without a 7'3 behemoth to play around with.

Ultimately, I expect most of his minutes to come at center next season, but the Spurs will almost certainly experiment by having him spend time at the four. While next season will be about getting better, San Antonio probably won't immediately compete for the playoffs in a competitive West, affording them some leeway to see what works and what doesn't with their new franchise player.

4: Limit Wembanyama to 30 minutes per game

It may seem premature to start thinking about minutes for a player that the Spurs haven't even drafted yet, but limiting Wembanyama's minutes during his rookie season makes sense for several reasons. For starters, many number-one overall picks don't play big minutes immediately, with players such as Cade Cunningham and Palo Banchero averaging in the low 30s.

Some of that may be due to teams wanting to ease their young stars into the NBA and help them adjust to the longer schedule. Also, those teams know that they probably aren't going to immediately compete for the postseason.

The Spurs won't look to tank next season, but they may not be ready to make that leap into playoff contention just yet either. San Antonio isn't hurting for draft picks, but they probably wouldn't turn down a chance at another top-10 selection. There are also some injury-risk concerns to think about. Few players 7'3 and taller have gone on to have long and healthy careers.

There is also a surprisingly long list of recent top picks who have missed their entire rookie seasons. Based on that, they should keep him to around 30 minutes a game. That would hopefully ensure that he will make it through his rookie season healthy, and the Spurs could benefit from another potentially high lottery pick.

3: Have Wembanyama switch when defending the pick-and-roll

Anyone who has watched highlights of Wembanyama has likely seen his impressive ability to defend away from the basket. His uncanny lateral quickness, length, and size are rare for a big man, and he often makes it hard for ballhandlers to get by him and finish at the rim or shoot over him. That has resulted in him blocking a surprising amount of jumpers while defending away from the basket.

Based on that, the Spurs should experiment with having him switch when guarding out on the perimeter as opposed to dropping back. While keeping Wembanyama as close to the basket as possible obviously has its perks, so does having him shut down ballhandlers in defensive switches. Particularly if the Spurs use more nontraditional lineups that prioritize size.

Having him try and switch every defensive possession while he is on the floor isn't realistic, but it is something that is worth trying out for a few possessions at a time. It may even prove to be effective in late-game situations when the Spurs need to get a stop. Wembanyama's defensive versatility at least raises the possibility of it working, thus making switching something the team should explore next season.

2: Have Wembanyama shoot off screens

A player as unique as Wembanyama shouldn't be confined to just the post, spotting up, or pick-and-pops; instead, the Spurs should look to be more creative with how they use him in the halfcourt. The Spurs could take a page out of the Orlando Magic's playbook with how they used center Bol Bol. At 7'2, Bol is comparable in height to Wemby, and that didn't stop them from occasionally having him run off of screens to get open.

Therefore, Popovich could try the same with Wembanyama. Centers don't often sprint off of screens to get open, but he is more mobile than most fives. The Spurs may try to utilize that, as well as his potential as a shooter, to get him open shots from outside.

Popovich could also use him in direct handoffs, but as the handee, allowing him to get a full head of steam and use his long strides to get into the paint. With the opposing center chasing after him, there would be no one to stop Wembanyama from finishing at the rim. In theory, it could work out well, and it might be something that the Spurs could try. If it works, it may be a devastating wrinkle that Popovich can throw out to catch teams off guard.

1: Use Wembanyama as the ballhandler in pick-and-rolls

Out of all of the ideas listed thus far, experimenting with having Wembanyama operate as the ball handler in the pick-and-roll is the most out-of-the-box. Having someone of his size try to create off the dribble is usually a terrible idea, and it is probably not something that will ever become a key part of his game. In spite of that, it could help him expand his game and gain additional tools. For instance, Keldon Johnson, who primarily played off-ball at Kentucky, played primarily with the ball in his hands in the NBA G League.

Fast forward to this season, and Johnson proved more than capable of attacking the basket off the dribble. If those reps helped Johnson, then maybe it could help Wembanyama. Imagine him eventually doing some version of what Giannis Antenkompko does, but with the ability to knock down threes and hit his free throws.

Thus, if using ball screens gives him the experience and confidence needed to become that type of player, then it's worth a few adventurous possessions here and there to see if he can expand upon that part of his game.

Overall, the Spurs hit the jackpot by winning the NBA Draft Lottery and will likely select Wembanyama first overall. He would give San Antonio arguably the greatest draft prospect ever, and they could look to use him in some out-of-the-box ways in hopes of maximizing his talent.