Detroit Pistons: Victor Wembanyama does have weaknesses

Detroit Pistons: Victor Wembanyama’s strengths and weaknesses

Victor Wembanyama’s weaknesses

The obvious, glaring answer to this is his physical strength. Truth be told, not many young men enter in the NBA at 19 years old as jacked as Jalen Duren. Furthermore, rare is the 7-footer that doesn’t lean toward the thin side. While his present, diminutive stature will create some problems for him on the defensive end, the problems really surface on the offensive end. He’s reliant on jump-shooting but not yet a very good jump shooter. He doesn’t have janky mechanics like Lonzo Ball entered the league with, nor is broken confidence bleeding into his mechanics and causing yips as was the case with Markelle Fultz. He just hasn’t gained master of the skill. There’s reason to think he will. Even more significant is his relative inability to gain post position to use his length and height around the basket. It will probably be a few years before he reaches the maturity he needs in order to accomplish that.

Other areas where Wembanyama is noted as having difficulty include passing out of double and triple teams. Decision-making under pressure is an area he will need to improve in to limit the turnovers. Passing, generally, will be an area of needed growth from day one. Unequivocally, the biggest weakness in his game is durability. Even if he sidesteps dreaded Achilles’ heels that big men are more prone to run into, like the foot and knee injuries that derailed the careers of Greg Oden and Yao Ming, or that sapped Arvydas Sabonis of some of his gifts, he will still need to bulk up to absorb the physicality of life in the NBA for a frontcourt player, centers particularly. Many pundits think he will begin his career as a power forward for that reason.