2x All-Star Disagrees With Shaquille O’Neal, Says Victor Wembanyama is Dominant

Despite being the tallest active player in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama is seldom seen in the paint on offense. Instead, the Spurs star has primarily been attempting jumpers from the perimeter and beyond the arc. His play style prompted Shaquille O’Neal to declare that the Frenchman wasn’t dominant. However, Zach Randolph doesn’t side with that assessment.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, O’Neal claimed that he wasn’t too pleased about the Spurs’ handling of Wembanyama. He claimed he would be a lot more efficient and dominant if he used his height to his advantage. The Hall of Famer said,

“Wemby is a great player. But I don’t really think you can be dominant when you shoot jumpers a lot. I think if he was an inside player at 7-foot-5, the answer would be yes. But when you shoot jumpers, you’re always going to go up and down.”

On the Out The Mud Podcast, Randolph spoke about O’Neal’s take on Wembanyama and claimed the four-time NBA champion’s assessment was archaic. He argued that the 20-year-old star isn’t dominant in the conventional sense, but is as stoppable as a player can be. He said,

“Shaq say [Wemby] ain’t dominant man, I agree with Shaq a little bit, but I disagree because he’s dominant in different ways. He’s so hybrid, you ain’t seeing no seven-footers throwing the ball between your legs during the game. Crossing over, step-back three. You don’t see that.”

The two-time All-Star highlighted Wembanyama’s incredible repertoire. He claimed that his point guard-like agility, dribbling skills, and shooting ability that mirrors an elite wing make him impossible to guard.

Randolph’s take is apt. While the 20-year-old doesn’t fit O’Neal’s definition of dominant, he has been exceptional as a defender since entering the league.

Wemby’s great start to his career

In his rookie year, Wemby nearly made NBA history as the first rookie to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. He finished as the runner-up behind Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert. He averaged 1.2 steals and led the league in blocks with 3.6 per game. The Frenchman has picked up where he left off in his sophomore season.

He has maintained his average of 3.6 blocks and has 1.3 steals per game, a tad higher than his rookie year. In a game against the Jazz in October, he recorded his second 5×5 game of his career, joining Hakeem Olajuwon and Andrei Kirilenko as the only players to achieve the feat multiple times.

A WEMBY-LIKE STAT LINE

25 PTS
9 REB
7 AST
5 BLK
5 STL
4 3PM@wemby is just the 3rd player to record multiple ‘5 x 5’ games in their career (since steals and blocks were recorded in 1973-74)! pic.twitter.com/5CUmrlnXfe

— NBA (@NBA) November 1, 2024

Wemby is still figuring out how to be a great player. His potential is limitless and many expect him to be a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. He hasn’t reached those levels yet, but slowly, he’s getting there.