The Spurs should look to utilize Victor Wembanyama more in crunch time

Over the last few games, the rookie hasn’t touched the ball very often in the fourth quarter. 

On Thursday night, the San Antonio Spurs extended their losing streak to six games, with Victor Wembanyama experiencing a rare off-night in Orlando. The rookie surprisingly only managed to grab one rebound, an unexpected performance for a player of his size. While the low rebounding might not be alarming on its own, what has raised concerns over the last five games is the Spurs’ failure to utilize Wembanyama effectively in the fourth quarter.

Throughout this challenging stretch, the rookie has only averaged 1.8 field goal attempts. It’s worth noting that he isn’t lacking playing time, as the minute restriction on the rookie has been lifted. Despite this, Wembanyama has been averaging just 6 minutes and 21 seconds in the fourth quarter. The question that arises is: why aren’t the Spurs giving him more opportunities?

While I don’t have a definitive answer, this issue seems to be a cause for concern. Wembanyama stands out as the team’s best offensive option, creating mismatches and contributing to easy buckets. Given his recent performance, there is no apparent reason not to maximize his involvement. Despite San Antonio’s shortage of a natural point guard outside Tre Jones, the team needs to explore additional avenues to get Victor Wembanyama engaged.

To end this losing streak, the Frenchman should get more touches in the last quarter of games. Increasing his involvement could be the key to turning the team’s fortunes around and securing much-needed victories.

The future of the Spurs should feature Devin Vassell alongside the Frenchman. I’ve been impressed with his performance this year, and his attitude is commendable.

The speculation around Trae Young’s future continues, inherently involving San Antonio in the conversation. Whether any of these rumors hold any truth remains to be seen, but the discussion is likely to persist until the summer.

On Thursday, Wemby showcased his impressive length, perfectly captured in this photo.

Despite the lacklustre performance in Orlando, Victor’s three-point shooting form looks remarkably smooth.