Photos of Victor Wembanyama in the gym have surfaced, and the Alien has clearly been in the gym. He's put on more muscle, as was always the plan. When he was drafted, Wembanyama discussed his long-term plan to add muscle patiently and intelligently so he doesn't overwhelm his frame. Too much, too fast, can be detrimental to the body. He understands that, and he's working smart.
Here's Victor Wembanyama with fellow Frenchman and chess playing pal Maxime Raynaud (via IG agency Comsport) #nba #porvida #sanantonio #gospursgo pic.twitter.com/e0APWKrB66
— JeffGSpursKENS5 (@JeffGSpursZone) May 19, 2025
Vic's toolkit is deep. He's only 21, but the moves at his disposal are many. As a matter of fact, there are so many that he occasionally gets caught trying things he probably shouldn't. That's all part of the experimentation process, but soon enough, he's going to find out that the most effective thing to do is to power through your defender, and since he towers above them, he has an unstoppable advantage.
Wembanyama's increased strength should help transform his game
Don't get me wrong, his love for the perimeter isn't misplaced; it's overused. There's a stark difference between the two. Critics would have Wembanyama park down low and operate in the paint exclusively, but that wouldn't be using his full capabilities to the team's advantage, nor would it be special.
The reason he was seen as the greatest prospect ever was because of his ability to do everything on the floor. At 7'4", Wembanyama can play every position in basketball. We've seen this kid shammgod through traffic, throw himself lobs off the glass, drill back-to-back threes from the logo, etc. I could go on, but we'd be here all day.
The problem isn't that he shoots threes, it's that you'd like to see him use his size more in the paint. Shooting too many threes lets the defense off the hook. Especially if you're shooting them early in the shot clock. If there's ball movement that results in an open catch-and-shoot three, at least you made the defense rotate.
When they don't have to defend as hard, they get to expend all of their energy on offense. Make them guard the team to increase fatigue, draw some fouls on your defender, and demoralize them when you take the fight to their chest.
Now, what can't be forgotten in this discussion is that Wembanyama is still adding that weight. We really didn't need him in the paint too often last season because he couldn't consistently hold his spots. That's why it's encouraging to see him adding some muscle.
He's smart enough to know that there's no point in wrestling with guys stronger than him when he can take them outside. But once he's able to match their strength or at least play through it comfortably, it's over.