Maybe Shaq should review Wemby’s impressive rookie season.
SAN ANTONIO — After just one NBA season, San Antonio Spurs‘ Victor Wembanyama showed how dominant he can be on both ends of the floor.
He is a menace defensively and offensively, he can score in many ways, either away from the basket or from the three-point line.
However, Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal doubts Wemby can dominate with the Spurs center taking shots away from the basket.
Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Shaq questioned if the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year can be dominant taking jump shots.
“Wemby is a great player, but I don’t really think you can be dominant when you shoot jumpers a lot,” O’Neal said. “I think if he was an inside player at 7’5″, the answer will be ‘yes’ but when you shoot jumpers, you’re always going to go up and down. But he’s a fine player; I wish him well.”
Shaq should examine Wemby’s averages and records from his rookie season if the numbers don’t lie.
He averaged 21.4 points per game, 10.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He also led the league in blocked shots at 3.6 per game.
Do you need more proof of how dominant Wemby was last season?
He accumulated 1,522 points, 755 rebounds, 274 assists and 254 blocks, becoming the first player in NBA history with 1,500-plus points, 700-plus rebounds, 250-plus assists, 250-plus blocks and 100-plus 3-pointers in a season.
He recorded 342 combined steals and blocks and became the first rookie to record more than 300 combined steals and blocks in a season since Shaq himself did in 1992-93.
Wemby was also the youngest player in NBA history to post a 40/20 game: 40 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists versus New York on March 29.
Remember that Wemby is just 20 years old. As his career progresses, he will fill out his body to become a more physical force in the paint.
Perhaps in Shaq’s mind, a “big man” must be the bruising type he was in the NBA.
However, the game has changed drastically, and Wemby is the prototype “big man” for today’s NBA era.
If you total all he did in just one season, the answer is “yes.” Wemby is dominant across the floor, which shows his versatility to play a complete game.
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