Victor Wembanyama has a weakness, despite his strong defense and wide block span. This was what LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac revealed in a post-game interview, following the Clippers’ victory over the Spurs.
While the Clippers had a home win of 113-104, it did not come easy, particularly because of the towering figure of Wemby. The Clippers fell behind in the early part fo the game, but soon recovered and took over, thanks to Zubac and James Harden’s offense combination.
In an interview following the game, Ivica Zubac revealed one weak point he learned about Victor, but still making it a point how hard it has been to point with him on the defense. Turns out, going bully ball is the key to cracking Wemby’s defense.
“When he’s in the paint, that’s the only thing you can do against him,” Zubac explained. “You got to hit body and try to go dunk everything. He’s going to block everything if you try to go float [over] him, or hook him. So, you just got to try to go through his chest.”
If anything, fans see this as a strong testament to the strong defensive capabilities of Wemby, saying that “you gotta play bully ball with Wemby,” also noting that the French player also almost blocked Zubac’s dunk.
Victor Wembanyama’s Defense, “All Eyes” on Him
Despite being recognized for almost impenetrable defense, many are still doubtful of Victor Wembanyama’s “up and down” performance thus far for this season. However, Golden State Warriors veteran forward Draymond Green thinks these are just all part of the learning process, and something all go through, particularly for someone new to the team like Wemby.
“Well, number one, when you come back after that first summer, everybody’s been watching you,” Green said. “Defenses are prepared—it’s not the first time everybody’s seeing you. There are game plans built to stop you, so you have to adjust to that. I think Wemby is just going through what most of us go through where he has to make those adjustments.”
Sports analyst Mark Barrington believes that Webnayama’s presence greatly elevates the Spurs’ defense to an elite level with his presence, but this level drops as soon as he leaves the court.
“As long as Victor Wembanyama is healthy, the team will be elite when he’s in the game, but there’s a lot of drop off when he sits,” he said. “[Zach] Collins tries on defense, but he’s not quick or agile, and he’s often outmuscled by other team’s interior players.”
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