Spurs' Victor Wembanyama Struggled With 'Easiest Shots'

Last season, as dominant as it was, it was clear that Victor Wembanyama was just scratching the surface. There is a long way to go in his improvement, and the San Antonio Spurs have made tapping into his potential their top priority.

In his rookie season, Wembanyama established himself as an elite shot blocker and great scorer, although some of his choices were puzzling at best. Given that he was 19 years old when the season started, that much could be quickly forgiven, but the Spurs will rely on him to take a leap.

He shot a respectable, but not great, 32.5 percent from behind the arc in his rookie campaign. In the paint, he shot an excellent 62 percent and is emerging as a dominant player near the rim.

However, he took 226 shots from midrange and made only 31.8 percent of them. That putrid mark can easily be improved simply by not settling for deep shots inside the arc. Wembanyama has the ball-handling prowess to either get himself behind the arc and take a shot (41.3 percent on off-the-dribble threes), or he can put his head down and drive to the hoop before elevating over defenders.

Teaching himself to avoid shooting midranges and instead take easier shots has been a primary area of focus this offseason.

"I mean, it's still something I want to get better at because of course, those are the easiest shots and the ones we want the most," Wembanyama said about getting to the rim. "But the thing is, it's hard to go to the basket, especially in the NBA."

Wembanyama added weight this summer, which should make charging toward the hoop and staying up easier. In the Paris Olympics, he took just over one midrange shot per game, down from 3.1 attempts in the NBA season.

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As Wembanyama adds strength and footwork "fundamentals," expect his interior game to be devastating this season and for him to eliminate inefficiencies.