Serbia found a way to frustrate Victor Wembanyama—now he gets his revenge

Get your popcorn ready, folks. It's almost time to watch Victor Wembanyama play basketball again. While we wait for the NBA season to boot back up, FIBA competition is getting ready to kick off. Wemby and Team France will face off against Nikola Jokic in a couple of exhibition matches scheduled for August 20 and 23.

When the ball goes up, all eyes will be on the two teams' respective behemoths, and that's understandable. There's a more subtle subplot that Spurs fans should be watching for, though.

Serbia was able to disrupt Wemby offensively in their 2024 meeting by making him uncomfortable in the paint or keeping him out of it altogether.

He finished that contest with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a loss. There's no doubt they'll try to do the same thing until Wembanyama proves he can beat that strategy. So, can he?

NBA teams work to deploy a similar strategy to slow down the fantastical anomaly that is Victor Wembanyama. This will be our first chance to see what Vic has added this summer to counter those types of game plans.

Serbia already showed they know how to bother Wembanyama

The rules may be different in European leagues, but opponents everywhere feel the same about the importance of keeping Vic away from the rim as much as possible. Upping the physicality early and often is the best way to do that.

Wemby's game is versatile enough that he can score from the perimeter, but then he's at the mercy of whether or not his shot is falling that day.

We all know he's more effective when he can press the issue in the paint, but doing so consistently requires more strength. So, how much weight has he added in the two months since the conclusion of the NBA Finals? How is he using it?

The offseason hasn't concluded yet, but we're more than halfway through it at this point. The Spurs will be showing up for training camp in just over a month.

Wembanyama has new ways to beat that strategy

Can he showcase the playmaking and half-court creation he's already added to his game since his last matchup with Serbia? Spurs Nation would love to see Wembanyama clear a former hurdle by showcasing his growth.

He's the key to everything in San Antonio. The Silver and Black made it all the way to June hoops ahead of schedule, primarily because of him, and they failed to get over the hump primarily because he ran out of gas.

While it's fair to assign the majority of the blame for his fatigue to it being the first time he's played that many games, it's also fair to attribute whatever small percentage of it to his playstyle.

Vic exerts a ton of energy on both ends of the floor, and that's only exacerbated when he's going into dribble ISO mode and driving through contact from the perimeter into the lane. It's just a lot for someone that size.

If he can plant himself on the block a little more often and get established so he can make a quick move with the ball, it will go a long way to keeping him fresh long-term.

France vs. Serbia gives us a chance to watch that. It's much more than Wemby against Jokic. It's an opportunity to see whether Vic has found more efficient ways to create offense against the exact type of defenses that have given him trouble before.

If he can punish Serbia effectively, Spurs fans may get their first glimpse of the version of The Alien that's built to stay dangerous all the way through June.

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