Skip to main content

Victor Wembanyama's next developmental leap will leave the league in shambles

The MVP hopeful is about to get even better.
Apr 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) warms up before game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Apr 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) warms up before game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The scary part about Victor Wembanyama is that, while he is dominant now, we haven't come close to seeing the finished product. His mastery of the mid-range game is the next step towards unlocking his full potential on the offensive end.

Look, it's never too early to look into the future a bit beyond this postseason. While Wemby is in a great place during his first playoff run, there are some massive strides he can make in his game to take things to the next level. It's so ironic because we are talking about a guy who has been hot in MVP conversations all year long and was the unanimous DPOY.

Sustaining greatness is important, though, if Victor wants to be considered a perennial top-three player in the league. That's only possible if he makes the necessary strides in his game from one season to the next.

Wemby needs to continue sharpening his mid-range game

One of the most beautiful parts of Victor's third year was his improved shot distribution. In his second season, he took an astronomical number of his looks from downtown, attempting 8.8 per game. This time around, he got that number down to 5.5 and included a healthy mid-range attack along with an array of off-ball actions that got him easy looks at the rim.

Wemby needs to continue to flesh out that mid-range game next season. He has to be more decisive when he gets touches in that area, and adding several face-up or off-the-dribble moves will go a long way toward making him even more of a threat as a scorer.

Don't get me wrong, we definitely saw flashes of that this season, but his consistency from that zone will be a difference maker for him and the Spurs offense as a whole. Long story short, we need to see Wemby grow as an elite shot creator, and for him, that starts with mastering one of the game's most underrated yet lethal weapons.

Wemby's mid-range proficiency will alleviate a recurring issue

When you watch Victor play, one thing you immediately notice is that he's bothered by shorter but stout defenders once he gets the ball in that mid-post area. That was demonstrated in the first round against Portland. Blazers guard Jrue Holiday had several great defensive possessions as Wemby's on-ball defender.

We may see a similar dynamic with Julius Randle through this second-round series. Wembanyama isn't the type to back down and bully strong defenders from the free-throw line area into the paint, but his size and ability to shoot over them are the biggest competitive advantages that he possesses.

That's why improving as a decision maker and adding to his mid-range arsenal are going to be key moving forward in his career. Only a handful of players can contest his jumpshot, but finding more creative ways to get to it is imperative.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations