Shaquille O’Neal has recently questioned the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama’s future dominance, despite a historic rookie campaign for the San Antonio Spurs. Citing his heavy reliance on shooting jumpers, the Hall-of-Famer suggested that the Frenchman’s playstyle does not invoke fear in the opposition compared to other greats in the game.
Shaquille O’Neal Questions Victor Wembanyama’s Dominance
Speaking on the Pat McAfee show, Shaq 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.”
Clarifying his ‘dominant’ definition, O’Neal cast doubt on whether Wembanyama fits the criteria.
“You have to tell me what your definition of dominant is. Mine was, ‘We’re terrified of him. We have to change the rules for him. Nothing we can do can stop him. We’re gonna bring extra players to stop him.’ And you have to be consistent with all those things for at least five, six, seven years.”
His comments may come as a surprise to many, given what the 20-year-old produced on a struggling Spurs side throughout last season. In 71 games, Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.6 blocks per game. This earned him unanimous Rookie of the Year honors ahead of Chet Holmgren and Brandon Miller.
Victor Wembanyama:
— 21/11/4b
— NBA blocks leader
— NBA stocks leader
— Most BLK by a rookie in 30+ seasons
— 1st 20/10 rookie season since Blake
— 1st 20/10/3 season this century (all players)
— 1st season with 250+ BLK and 100+ 3PRun away ROTY. pic.twitter.com/pIhMAkNssc
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 6, 2024
Matching Up Against the Very Best
It took little time for the youngster to get acclimated to the league, highlighted by his role in the Spurs’ incredible comeback at the Phoenix Suns in his fourth game. Going up against one of the greatest of all time Kevin Durant, he struggled early but finished with 18 points in the 115-114 win. Entering the fourth quarter down 13, the Spurs outscored their opponents 33-19 to win the game at the death. They led for a total of 1.2 seconds in the entire game. Victor Wembanyama offered a glimpse of the dominance to come with nine points in the final frame. This included a clutch midrange jumper in the last two minutes.
After showing he could compete with the best, he would score 30+ points on 11 occasions and produce one 40-point game. Wembanyama was also a force on the defensive side, recognized by a runners-up finish in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, behind Rudy Gobert.
While it is a valid argument that settling on jumpers will hold Wembanyama back, there has been more than enough evidence throughout year one to showcase his versatility. After all, he has shown to be a nightmare matchup for several teams so far. It must also be emphasized that he still is only one year into his NBA career. A true ceiling is almost impossible to place on a player with such talent. There is a reason why he was touted as the ‘best prospect since LeBron James.’
Help is on the Way
Although it ended in a heartbreaking defeat to Team USA in the gold medal match, Wembanyama helped his country France to a silver medal at the Paris Olympics. Now, he will be looking to build on that success when he returns to San Antonio for the upcoming NBA season. With a year of playing under legendary coach Gregg Popovich, he will now get to play alongside one of the greatest point guards in Chris Paul.
During the offseason, the Spurs signed Paul to a one-year $11m contract. The Golden State Warriors waived him, making this possible. The ‘Point God’ has a history of transforming young teams into playoff contenders, and the hope is that he will be able to do the same alongside a generational talent. In 2019, the Houston Rockets traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Next to him in the backcourt was a young guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who he mentored and helped lead to an unlikely playoff berth.
His impact was immensely felt after one season, prompting the Suns to trade for him. Another budding superstar Devin Booker was his backcourt partner, and together they reached the NBA finals. This came during Phoenix’s first playoff run in over a decade. Wembanyama now gets the opportunity to reap the benefits of Paul’s presence and leadership. It should be a partnership that fans will be excited to see unfold. Whether or not Shaq’s comments ring true in the future, there is no doubt that Wembanyama has all the tools to be a dominant player in the NBA this season and beyond.
