The hype around Victor Wembanyama has only increased in his second year. Many expect the sophomore center to ascend to becoming the face of the NBA soon, but his journey will be riddled with criticism around his style of play. Shaquille O’Neal, for instance, has thrown question marks at the 20-year-old’s style of play, which former Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph recently addressed.
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“Shaq said he [Wembanyama] ain’t dominant, man. I agree with Shaq a little bit, but I disagree cause he’s dominant in different ways,” Randolph said on his podcast, ‘Out the Mud’.
Last month, O’Neal was on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ where he shared his concerns about the Spurs big. “Wemby is a great player,” he said, “But I don’t really think you can be dominant when you shoot jumpers a lot.”
Shaq added, “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.”
It’s hard to tell if the Diesel’s qualms are influenced by his own history with poor shooting. But one thing is clear. O’Neal, during his prime, was the most dominant player in the league by far, and he achieved his historic greatness by leading the league in paint scoring for 10 consecutive seasons.
There is truth to his suggestion that Wembanyama, with his 7’4” frame, can make a living in the paint, as very few players have the reach or athleticism to deny him around the cup. At the same time, Randolph argued for Wemby dominating in a way we haven’t seen before.
“He’s so hybrid,” the two-time All-Star said. “You ain’t seeing no 7-footers throwing the ball between your legs, during the game, crossing over, step-back three. You don’t see that. So, it’s dominating in his way.”
Wemby is smart to leverage his ability to pull off guard-like maneuvers in the NBA’s tallest frame. The league today is highly three-point oriented, and the French star’s shooting from downtown only creates more space for him to penetrate the inside. After all, defenders can’t be lax with him beyond the arc, and using his crafty handle, the Alien frequently exploits closeouts to create advantages.
Furthermore, in just his second season, Wembanyama is wise to practice caution when he can. The Spurs are not in win-now mode so whenever he can protect his body from the bruising inside game, he absolutely should.
As the 20-year-old’s body develops the strength to consistently play a back-to-the-basket style, he can become the type of dominant player that Shaq wants him to be. Until then, Wemby will continue to dominate with his unique blend of size, touch and shooting.
