Chicago defeated the San Antonio Spurs last night for the second time in two weeks, handing them a 19-point loss in the United Center. Bulls’ announcer Stacey King, three-time NBA champion with Chicago and eight-year NBA veteran, is widely known and respected for his honest and unfiltered takes on various topics. Last night was no exception, sharing his point of view on the most highly-coveted rookie since LeBron James in 2003 and the sources of his early-career struggles. Does King have a point here, and how soon can San Antonio help their phenom find his footing on the professional stage?
Reality Check For The Spurs Core
Not dodging any smoke, King was very candid in his assessment of the 7’4″ rookie and his surrounding teammates, saying they appear lost as a unit early in 2023. To rephrase his sentiment, too many players are bidding for the alpha spot on the Spurs when, in actuality, there should be a clear-cut top option, and his name is Victor Wembanyama.
Some of the blame falls on Wembanyama, who has sometimes been noticeably passive. Still leading the team in field goal attempts and points, he ranks 38th in the NBA in shot attempts, meaning several teams have multiple players taking more shots than San Antonio’s top shot-taker. He’s also settled for many outside jumpers rather than basing his offensive game out of the paint, nearly attempting one-third of his field goals from beyond the three-point arc. He’s posted a team-high 18.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game through 25 appearances and is a lock for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award.
Rebuilding Around Wemby
King points out that Wembanyama’s most impressive outings come from working inside the paint, evolving to the outside shot, earning free-throw attempts, and staying active on the offensive glass. In his fifth career game, he dropped a career-best 38 points and ten rebounds on 15-of-26 shooting from the field. His size and craftiness around the rim make for a nearly impossible weapon to counter.
The Bulls’ announcer isn’t the first and won’t be the last to take notice of the slow development in San Antonio. Still, regardless, a rookie averaging over 18 points and ten rebounds is incredible by any standards, and he will only continue to improve as his comfortability rises on the NBA stage.
Will Greg Popovich and the young Spurs figure out who to deploy one of the most extraordinary young talents the game has ever seen, or will his surroundings stunt Wembanyama’s growth?
