After a slow start to his sophomore season, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is beginning to break out. He has averaged 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in his last eight games, and that may be a sign of things to come. Over that span, he has scored at least 30 points four times, including dropping 50 against the Washington Wizards.
Part of his offensive explosion has been his three-point shooting, with him shooting around league average while launching a staggering 9.2 attempts per game. Taking that many threes and converting them at a reasonable percentage is a great way to boost one's scoring, but another aspect of his game has flown under the radar.
Unlike most big men historically, Wembanyama is a good free-throw shooter. He is shooting a terrific 85.9% from the line this season, which ranks 16th among players taking at least 3 free throws per game. With Wembanyama on pace to shred the Spurs single-season 3-point mark, that might not be all that surprising, but it's an important aspect of his game.
Overlooked Victor Wembanyama stat hints at untapped potential.
Players such as Shaquille O'Neal and Giannis Antetokounmpo both lived at the line but struggled to take advantage, making fouling them an option when given the chance. On the other hand, if Wembanyama is shooting 85% from the line, he's the last player that teams should be fouling.
As Wembanyama continues to develop as a scorer, his ability to knock down free throws will play an important part in his ability to put the ball in the basket. After all, most players who average at least 27 points per game often rely on drawing plenty of free throws per game.
While he is only attempting 3.3 per game this season, that is likely to increase with him possibly shooting the Spurs' technical free throws. His number of attempts should also increase as he puts on weight and plays more in the post. Wembanyama may also soon be given the benefit of the doubt with "superstar calls."
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has a chance to be a big-time scorer.
If he can continue to shoot around league average from three on a high volume, continue to shoot around 60% on twos, and draw, say, seven free throws a game, then he could easily become one of the NBA's premier scorers. That's a high bar but not far off what he is already doing.
After all, he's averaging 24 points per game this season, and a few more trips to the free throw line could propel him into the NBA's upper echelon as a scorer. Especially with him emerging as an above-average free-throw shooter.