The Map of Victor Wembanyama: Driving
The Map of Victor Wembanyama is a series where I try to identify the smaller aspects that comprise each skill of the projected number one pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. I look at how Victor can utilize each micro-skill to contribute to winning at the NBA level and which micro-flaws opposing teams could utilize to gain an advantage whenever he’s on the floor.
Catch up with previous regions of The Map here:
Part Two: Catch-and-Finish Scoring
Part Three: Back to the Basket
After analyzing how Wembanyama operates in the paint, both on offense and defense, it’s time to look at his abilities beyond the 3 point line. In this case I’ll be going over his ability to handle the ball and drive to the basket.
This is The Map of Victor Wembanyama, Part Four: Driving
1. Fluidity
The most eye-catching aspect of his driving ability is his fluidity with the ball in his hands, which is downright impressive for a 7-foot-4 prospect.
Unlike most players his size, who aren’t able to keep a control of the ball due to a high dribble point, Wembanyama’s flexibility and tremendously long arms allow him to get low, with his eyes nearly matching the height of his (always smaller) defender and keep a tight dribble, which makes it hard for opponents to steal the ball from him due to an incredible low dribble point for his size.
Wembanyama is smooth to dribble the ball and is able to flow seamlessly between dribble moves. He pulls in-and-outs and an array of crossovers (behind-the-back, through-the-legs) to set up his drives and get defenders off balance.
While he doesn’t possess an extremely quick first step, Wembanyama has a level of suddenness to his moves as he’s able to utilize hesitations and start/stop dribbles effectively. This suddenness also applies to his ability to change directions with the ball which he, again, utilizes to get defenders off balance.
With his combination of fluidity, creativity and ability to change directions and speeds, Wembanyama is not only able to initiate drives but also to withstand defensive pressure in the perimeter, even getting out of double teams by simply handling his way out of it. In these situations it becomes evident how developed he is when it comes to utilizing counters to avoid defensive pressure.
2. Footwork and Body Control
Wembanyama utilizes his fluidity to initiate drives, but lacking elite quickness in his first step, he needs an elite level of footwork and body control for his size to move through traffic, keep his dribble alive and get to the basket.
Wembanyama can make his way to the rim with his ability to change directions on the move, slightly contorting his body to avoid defenders and find the open space.
His body control and footwork also allow him to execute more advanced change of directions, such as spin moves and eurosteps, where he’s able to stop abruptly and then change directions or spin off of his pivot foot with tremendous grace and fluidity for his size. This not only allows him to find the open space, but also helps him create separation against defenders who are covering his drives.
3. How to Get By Opponents Without an Elite First Step
While Wembanyama is definitely quick for his massive 7-foot-4 size, and despite his impressive fluidity, creativity and flexibility, he is not always able to get by defenders, as a number of defenders in the French LNB have been able to stay in front of him, forcing him into tough, contested shots.
However, Wembanyama is able to create separation and get to the rim in a number of situations which allow him to compensate for the lack of a quick first step to some degree.
3a. Finding the Right Mismatch
One common trait that is shared by all the players who have had success at deterring Wembanyama from getting to the rim is the ability to withstand the physicality of a 7-foot-4 player driving straight to them. While Wembanyama is really fluid, he’s not always able to generate enough power or momentum in his drives to move opponents out of the way.
One of the ways in which Metropolitans is able to take advantage of Wembanyama’s driving ability in one-on-one situations, is to allow him to exploit mismatches. While I’ve previously talked about how Victor’s lack of strength limits him in certain areas, there are very few guards who are able to keep up with a 7-footer running straight towards them, and Wembanyama does a good job of putting his shoulder down to protect the ball and create space out of physicality in these situations.
While I don’t expect Wembanyama to create drives in ISO situations with consistency at the NBA level due to his lack of elite quickness and strength, he could make an impact should he find and exploit those mismatches with consistency,
3b. Long Strides and Ball Security
Wembanyama’s size allows him to not just move opponents out of the way, but also to take ridiculously long strides, drive through traffic and get to the rim without even having to dribble the ball inside the arc. Much like Giannis Antetokounmpo does in the NBA, Wembanyama times his gather step well to pick up his dribble near the 3 point line and then take two long strides before attempting a shot at the rim.
His long legs also help mitigate some of the limitations in terms of quickness. Even if he’s not always able to get by his defender in the traditional sense of getting his hip past his defender, he is able to simply step around his match-up with his long legs, giving him enough space to attempt a high-percentage shot at the rim.
Wembanyama’s hands are massive as well, which, as I mentioned in previous editions of this series, impacts his ball security in a positive way. Once Victor picks up his dribble and secures the ball with both hands, it becomes extremely difficult to rip the ball from him.
3c. Using the Shooting Threat to Set Up the Drive
After Wembanyama catches the ball in a one-on-one situation, he has a tendency to utilize the triple threat position to try and get defenders off balance, specifically by getting them to bite on pump fakes.
Wembanyama’s ability to hit jumpers with consistency from 3 point range and his tremendously high set point makes opposing defenders overreact to his fakes. Smaller opponents aren’t able to contest his jumper without leaving their feet, which is the most vulnerable position for a defender. This is where Wembanyama is able to capitalize.
Even when the pump fake doesn’t fully work, if Wembanyama can get a defender to hesitate and lose focus for a split second, he is then able to step around them and find his way to the rim.
4. Finishing: Natural Abilities vs. Versatility
When analyzing Wembanyama’s interior scoring profile in previous editions of The Map, I mentioned a number of natural abilities which could turn him into a reliable interior finisher, both in catch-and-finish and in back-to-the-basket opportunities. Most of those aspects also extend to his profile as a finisher on drives.
His incredible level of hangtime comes in handy, as he’s able to convert difficult lay-ups in traffic with his ability to maneuver mid-air and readjust after contact.
Wembanyama is also able to use his incredibly long arms to finish with extension and avoid defenders at the rim.
Despite his natural abilities, Wembanyama is shooting just 53% at the rim on drives according to InStat, which might happen due to factors that I’ve also mentioned in previous editions of The Map. Due to his lack of physical strength, he can be thrown off-balance by routine contact which makes him reliant on tough shots at the rim.
The most concerning aspect, however, might be his lack of finishing versatility at the rim. Wembanyama’s shooting chart in non-dunk or lay-up attempts is definitely not encouraging in this aspect. He rarely attempts floaters or hook shots, and when he does it’s clear that he’s not comfortable with those shot types at this point.
For a prospect who doesn’t always create separation and get by his defender in one-on-one situations, developing a floater game and expanding his range of finishes would do wonders for his profile as a driver. Giving him yet another threat for defenders to cover when he has the ball in his hands.
5. Situational Aspects and NBA Spacing
The final point on Wembanyama’s driving profile has to do with his current team context and construction. In the international game, both due to the difference in rules and the dimensions of the court, the paint tends to be more clogged than it is in the NBA. When you also take into account that Metropolitans ranks in the bottom three in 3-point attempts per game among French LNB teams, it becomes a real possibility that within the context of an NBA team and the spacing that it will offer, Wembanyama will be able to find the lane less crowded than he does in his current team.
In the very few situations where Wembanyama was able to attack one-on-one without help defenders near the rim, he shows the potential to become a strong drive finisher at the NBA level, as he was able to create enough separation to plant one foot near the rim and dunk over opponents with consistency.
The other aspect is the role in which I envision Wembanyama thriving initially, which is attacking closeouts. I watched hundreds of clips from this season, including every drive Wembanyama took and I couldn’t find a single closeout that he chose to attack.
With his shooting ability and his aforementioned tendency to get defenders off balance with pump fakes, he has every tool and skill to become proficient at drawing hard closeouts and attacking them. Even if some of the concerning aspects that I mentioned in this piece (such as the lack of a quick first step and finishing versatility) don’t improve with time, he could still become a factor with the ball in his hands in closeouts in an NBA scheme that takes advantage of his shooting gravity.
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