Wemby's report card doesn't disappoint a third of the way into his third season

The Spurs have played more than a third of the 2025-26 season, and it's Victor Wembanyama's third year as a professional basketball player. Now seems like as good a time as any to evaluate what we've seen from the Alien. This will be the easiest report card Wemby ever earned, but that doesn't mean it's perfect. His parent will be proud, regardless of that, though.

Shotmaking: B+

The Alien is shooting a career-high field goal percentage (51%), and after a shaky start from three, has made his way back to the 35% he shot from outside last season. He returned from injury seven games ago, and in those contests, he's made 37% of his attempts.

With his release point higher than giraffe tonsils and relentless rim pressure from a deadly guard rotation, he'll keep getting good outside looks. If he keeps knocking them down at this clip, San Antonio's offense will be unstoppable. He's also one of the top fourth-quarter scorers in the league. His ability to put the ball in the hoop is special, and we see it nightly.

What I'd like to see him work on is his timing, understanding when to take the shot instead of passing to a teammate. He also has the habit of leaning away from the basket instead of using his length to reach toward it. He can erase the distance between himself and easy points by fixing that. It hasn't really cost the team, though, so I wouldn't dare go lower than a B+.

Playmaking: B-

I actually hoped Wemby's assist numbers would improve this season, but that hasn't been the case. The 7'5" phenomenon from France is a pretty talented passer, all things considered, but his timing is sometimes off. He'll be a little late with the pass or misread a defensive coverage, and those mistakes can lead to ugly turnovers.

However, he still makes enough dynamic plays on both sides of the ball to demand consideration when he's on the court. His gravity sucks in defenders when he has the rock, and that opens up wondrous possibilities for his teammates.

That same force repels would-be drivers of the basketball when he's defending the paint, limiting the opponent's options and giving his guys more chances to make plays on the ball. The steals and blocks of others can be attributed to the impact of the tall guy in the middle of the paint more often than most.

Defense: A++

Wemby's defensive counting stats are down this year, but that's going to happen when you're on a minutes restriction. Teams are also much more careful about testing him at the rim. We're seeing more floaters and pull-up jumpers than ever before. Give the other teams credit for finally wising up.

The impact is still there, and nobody in the league does it quite like Vic. There's not much to say about how good he is on that side of the ball that hasn't already been said. But I'll do it anyway. As skilled as the Alien has been since he set foot in the league, he's still gotten better as a defender because he's learned.

Wembanyama knows what teams are trying to do to take him out of plays, and he has done a masterful job navigating those schemes to ensure they're unsuccessful. It helps to have such an impressively athletic group around him, too. They play aggressively and with intelligence. It's clear that Mitch Johnson has emphasized using their brains just as much as their athleticism.

Vic has been crushing expectations at every turn in his career. That didn't stop this season. He kicked up his efficiency, leadership, aggressiveness, and focus. The results speak for themselves as the Silver and Black sit with the second seed in the Western Conference in only his third bite at the apple. He's one of the five best players in the NBA, and that's undeniable.

Final grade: A-