Wembanyama's historic stretch feels like cry for help Spurs must listen to

Victor Wembanyama has been on a tear lately, but it's not amounting to the right numbers in the win/loss column. The type of basketball needed to win vs. elite opponents has escaped many members of the Silver and Black despite the Alien elevating to another stratosphere, and it's concerning for the fan base when you see just how impactful he's been.

Victor is averaging 35 points, ten rebounds, four assists, and 6.5 blocks a night over the last four games. He's shooting 51.1% from the field and 44.2% from three over this stretch, which we've never seen before. You would think that only wins would follow a player putting up the numbers he is, but they've lost two in a row, and it puts a spotlight on San Antonio's timeline.

Spurs fans are questioning Devin Vassell's readiness

There's no shame in losing to the three-seeded New York Knicks or a Philadelphia 76ers team who has finally gotten healthy, going 8-3 in their last 11 games. How they lose is more important to the analysis of the team's progress, and there are some troubling trends that suggest San Antonio may need to start using some of those trade assets.

Devin Vassell isn't having the breakout season fans hoped for. He was on fire from three after a late debut due to his offseason surgery, but his numbers have plummeted across the board in recent games. He's averaging 12.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in his last five games.

His delayed arrival can only be blamed so much. He's now played 15 games and has been available for the last 11 in a row outside of the second night of a back-to-back. Since there were only five preseason games, you could say that he's had plenty of time to find a rhythm, but that hasn't happened yet.

Vassell was shooting over 44% from three over his first seven games. It led the team. But he's shot 26.8% over the last five games. When you consider his role on the team as the second option and how closely lost a few of San Antonio's games have been, it becomes difficult not to assign some blame.

It's not all his fault. No loss can be placed solely on the shoulders of one player, but he has an added responsibility to do more, so scoring 11 points in a Christmas Day game he played 36 minutes in just doesn't cut it.

Victor has blown past his teammates' timeline. Conservative points of view said that Wemby would need more time, so it's okay that the other players aren't exactly where you would hope them to be, but the Frenchman is good enough to win big-stage games now.

It's Vassell's second year next to Wembanyama and his fifth year in the league; he shouldn't need 20 games to warm up, nor should he still be struggling to play alongside the Alien.

I don't believe that Vassell needs to be moved. He's still a valuable part of this team, but his position as the second option is being questioned. He may be better suited as a third wheel, and if San Antonio decides they want to be buyers at the trade deadline, they have everything they need to add a guy.

Some of you will say that I'm being impatient—that the Spurs aren't ready to compete yet. But at some point, that's by design, not necessity. Wembanyama is showing that he's one of the best players in the league right now, so if you have the assets to speed up the contention process but you don't do it, you're making a deliberate decision not to compete.

After the Knicks game, he was asked whether he felt that momentum played a role in the loss. He replied, “I don’t think it was a game about momentum. I think it was a game about being dogs when the clock starts going down.”

The dogs need to be everywhere. On the court, guys like Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson have to dig down and bring a never-say-die attitude to the court. They've been in the league long enough to do that. The front office needs to be dogs as well—evaluating and pulling the trigger on the right deals to give Wemby a chance to do more unseen things.

Basketball limitations aren't set in stone; they're glass ceilings. We've never seen something before until we have. So, sure, players drafted to bad teams don't generally make the playoffs and win a series in their second year. But that's not some rule that can't be broken, and the right moves can get that done.

Victor touches every stat imaginable when he plays basketball, and he does it better than most of the stars in the league. That's showcasing an unrelenting effort to win games. So, if he's doing everything in his power to win now, shouldn't the front office be doing the same?