Why San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich Wants Victor Wembanyama to Play Power Forward and Center
A generational rookie like Victor Wembanyama doesn't come around very often.
That's a statement that seems self-explanatory. Everything about him is unique, after all. But for the San Antonio Spurs, they're experiencing firsthand what a talent like him looks like on the court — for better and for worse.
The young team has watched Wembanyama torch opposing defenses from behind the arc down the stretch, out-rebound every player on the court and send shots back without so much as moving his feet, but its also seen him give up turnovers while facing double teams and take questionable shots. The bottom line?
He's still learning.
Wembanyama is a generational talent, yes, but he's also just 19 years old. He's got plenty of room to grow, as do the Spurs as far as building around him. That's the part they're still working on, and coach Gregg Popovich is well aware of that.
In fact, he's looking to switch up his approach with the rookie.
"I want [Wembanyama] to play both [center and forward]. I don't want him to just be a perimeter player or just a post player. He can affect the game in both areas. He's got to get minutes in both."
Nov 6, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) in the first quarter against the Indaiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
© Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
To this point, Wembanyama has played solely at the power forward position. All of his minutes have allowed him to create shots for himself as San Antonio's offense runs through him, and the lineup around him – Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Zach Collins — complements that.
One of the biggest reasons for "The Jeremy Sochan Experiment" was to allow Wembanyama to play at Sochan's position without displacing the second-year out of the starting lineup. That's been iffy at best so far, which is why Popovich might be eager to try something new.
Moving Wembanyama to the five would open things up at the point guard position. Tre Jones — who's come off the bench all season — would get his shot to be the Spurs' starting point guard while Sochan could comfortably revert to his power forward tendencies. Wembanyama has the height to make him an easy option at center, but between he and Sochan, there'd have to be more communication to effectively fill the role of a typical center that neither of them do.
Wembanyama would need to get more rebounds, play down low and facilitate passes from the 3-point line and the post, while Jones would need to find ways to get him open and create shots for the other three players in the lineup. It could work, but it'd definitely take some getting used to for Wembanyama and company.
Then again, trying new things is exactly what this season is for.
