Why Victor Wembanyama Needs an NBA Enforcer to Reach His Full Potential

Victor Wembanyama has taken 1,175 3-point shots in his NBA career.

No, that’s not counting warmups.

Think about that for a second …

The guy is 22 years old, for crying out loud.

In his first three NBA seasons, Stephen Curry, the greatest 3-point shooter of all-time, attempted 843 shots from beyond the arc in 180 games.

James Harden, one of the greatest gunners ever, chucked up 1,034 in 263 games in his first three years.

Even Reggie Miller, who never met a shot he didn’t like, launched only 785 in his first 241 games.

Wemby played his 187th game as a Spur on Wednesday night. He made two of his seven 3-point attempts. Hey, it sure beats 0-for-8, which was his inaccuracy rate in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Victor Wembanyama might soon be the greatest basketball player of all-time. He’s already the most unique.

But he’s never going to win a championship standing 25 feet from the basket.

Watching Mitch Johnson trot out a starting lineup that included De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie – four guys who make Kevin Durant look like King Kong – in Game 2, something occurred to me:

Maybe Wemby is sending a message.

You see, when Chet Holmgren came to the NBA, one of the first things the wily Sam Presti did was hire a bodyguard.

No, not Mr. T. Rather, Mr. H – 250-pound Isaiah Hartenstein.

His role: If someone touches Holmgren, touch back … harder.

Wemby, a human beanpole who could crack easier than Humpty Dumpty, needs exactly that. An enforcer.

Not someone whose name sounds like fine wine.

Maybe this is why Wemby stands almost a first down from the goal. Because nobody is willing to be his lead blocker.

Interestingly, the San Antonio Spurs do employ some beef. But it doesn’t complement the main course of the meal.

Luke Kornet is plenty big, but all he does is get in Wemby’s way. That is, if Johnson ever played them at the same time, which he doesn’t.

Mason Plumlee, Bismack Biyombo and Kelly Olynyk also weigh in as heavyweights, but if any is employed to do more than carry Wemby’s bags, it’s news to this series.

All can help Wembanyama defensively. And all need to help Wemby defensively, because coaches at this level know: The more energy you exert at the defensive end, the less you have at the offensive end.

Look at Jaylen Brown in Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers. His coach had him guarding Joel Embiid. Then he expects him to drain critical 3-pointers at the end of a 40-minute night.

It doesn’t work that way.

And Brown is a real athlete. Wemby is, well, tall.

There’s no way he can expect to succeed long-term doing that kind of double-duty. More likely, he’ll get hurt. And the minute that happens, the Spurs are back in the lottery.

Hartenstein isn’t much different than the Spurs’ fearless foursome, but his role is different.

Holmgren is tall and slender. Wemby-slender, but not Wemby-tall. That makes a difference.

Holmgren is the Empire State Building. He touches the clouds. Wemby is the Sacramento Victory Beam. He touches the sky.

Holmgren is no taller than many other NBA centers. Lob to him at your own risk.

But he’s a more skilled perimeter player. Thus, he belongs among the shrubs. It helps clear a path to the hoop for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, two driving forces.

And Holmgren can actually shoot 3's. He's made 36.9% of his relatively modest 708 attempts in his first 183 regular-season games. Better yet, he’s 9-for-20 so far in five postseason games this season.

Wemby is no Holmgren, and that’s what vaults him to a taller status than just real good. He goes a full three inches farther north, with arms that resemble Plastic Man, which makes him the game’s most unstoppable force around the basket since Wilt Chamberlain.

And they had to change the rule to stop him.

Chamberlain was built like Ed Jones. He didn’t need a bodyguard. But Wemby does.

Can you imagine Maurice Lucas moving bodies around for him like he did for Bill Walton?

Like Charles Oakley did for Patrick Ewing?

Like Blake Griffin did for DeAndre Jordan?

The NBA has attempted to weed out its enforcers, but a few still exist. Just without diplomatic immunity.

In fact, each might be available to the Spurs next year for the right price.

Envision Draymond Green or Zion Williamson setting screens that allow the Human Backboard Cleaner to get within arm’s length of the rim 50 times a game. Wilt beware.

Maybe Myles Turner or Bobby Portis pulling a Wemby-shadowing big man away from the hoop simply by spotting up.

All four would help the big guy at both ends of the floor. And at what cost -- one of the Spurs’ young players or two?

Who cares? They’d have Wemby. A fresher, closer-to-the-basket Wemby.

And that’s scary.

Perhaps what it would take would be a superior gutsy enough to grab Wemby by the arm and swing him into the offensive lane roller-derby style, before seconds later cross-checking him out of harm’s way on the defensive end.

LeBron James could do that.

Most importantly, Victor Wembanyama needs that.