Former Spurs All-Star has the answer to make Wembanyama unstoppable
By Ethan Farina
As one of the most prolific scoring big men of his era, LaMarcus Aldridge knows a thing or two about what it takes to succeed in the NBA. The five-time All-NBA big man and former San Antonio Spurs star accomplished just about all you can short of winning a title across the span of his 16-year career and isn't shy about passing down his knowledge to the next generation of Spurs.
In a clip from his appearance on the All The Smoke podcast, Aldridge revealed the one piece of advice he would have for Victor Wembanyama. Simply put, slow down.
Warning: NSFW language
Wembanyama has the tools and Aldridge can help him hone the skills
Aldridge rightly called out the need for Wembanyama to develop a signature basic move that he could go to time and time again. Simplify the game. What Aldridge is saying isn't rocket science; we've seen almost every great player rely on one move or another when things got tight. Aldridge had his post fade, Kobe Bryant and DeMar DeRozan had their variation in the mid-range, and Dirk Nowitzki made it something entirely new with his one-legged signature move.
Once Wembanyama has a go-to move, he can build variations, counters, and counters to counters. It's a never-ending process of evolution and growth that should turn someone with Wemby's physical talents into one of the most dangerous scorers in the league. To Aldridge's point, the hardest part might be getting started.
Wembanyama can do so much on the court that it might be hard for him to slow down and make one move his go-to when he needs to take over. And that's okay! He doesn't have to figure all of this out in his rookie season. But the sooner he puts this advice into practice the better and beginning with Aldridge's post-fade would be a great place to start.
Can you imagine how hard it would be for any defender to remotely contest an Aldridge-styled turnaround fadeaway jumper from Vic? There are maybe four players in the NBA with the necessary wingspan and even the Rudy Gobert's of the world would have to be in perfect position to alter a shot like that.
Who better to teach Wembanyama to break the game down and build his go-to move than the man giving the advice? Aldridge has already made it clear that he'd be open to a coaching position in one form or another so he can take Wembanyama and other young Spurs under his wing. If this is the kind of advice San Antonio could expect, then the front office should seriously consider bringing LaMarcus on in some sort of advisory capacity.
Vic already has Tim Duncan and David Robinson to lean on when necessary. If he can consistently pepper LaMarcus Aldridge with questions, he'd be one mentor closer to becoming the greatest Spurs big man the franchise has ever seen.