Last season, Victor Wembanyama was on track to win Defensive Player of the Year and make his first All-NBA team. 

He had averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 3.8 blocks while shooting a league-average 35.2% from 3-point range, and then a blood clot diagnosis ended his season early.

On Monday, it was announced that Wembanyama is officially cleared to play, and with De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle in town, the San Antonio Spurs seem poised to make the playoffs.

Udonis Haslem thinks the Spurs have made some key moves around their franchise player, and he knows how to unlock him.

Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Wembanyama did not qualify to be an official leader in any stat, although he would have been first in blocks per game and finished with the most blocks per game.

Add in his 11 boards per contest, and he should be a fairly traditional 7-foot-3 center, dominating the interior.

However, his 8.8 3-point attempts per game were good for ninth in the league, ahead of both James Harden and Trae Young. Udonis Haslem urged him to play a more traditional role.

“I love what Victor is able to do offensively and, of course, defensively,” raved the veteran. “I would love for him to cut those 3s down. I know he shoots around eight or nine threes. I’m a little old school… I want him to get down there and dominate a little bit more with his size. But the sky is the limit for Victor Wembanyama.”

Wembanyama, like Nikola Jokic, is ushering in a new era of NBA centers, although he is focused on mastering scoring and defense instead of passing and ball-handling. 

The Spurs made additions this offseason, namely signing backup Luke Kornet, to maximize Wembanyama, and Haslem is convinced that the Spurs can take the next step.

“I love the roster,” he continued. “Let’s not forget about bringing in Luke Kornet over from Boston, and what he was able to do in the playoffs. So that’s another guy who has championship experience and knows what it’s like to be in a locker room like that. So I love the pieces they put around him.”

In his rookie season, Wembanyama shot 5.5 3s per game and made only 32.5% of them. In his second season, he improved both his volume and efficiency, although he is still far from being an elite marksman.

It’s easy for pundits and critics to encourage him to get in the paint. After all, at 7-foot-3 and with an eight-foot wingspan, there’s only a handful of players who can stop him at the basket, although Wembanyama being a real 3-point threat is integral to his success.

In his rookie season, he shot 60.6% within ten feet of the basket. That’s borderline elite, although in his second season, he made 68.5% of his shots from the same distance.

Part of that can be attributed to improved strength and technique, although a lot of it can be chalked up to his offensive gravity. He has to be respected on the perimeter, which allows him more space to operate when he gets closer to the basket.

As a true center, he will always be more effective closer to the basket, but he is more than capable of stretching the floor, and as he pulls defenses out, he should be able to take the next step in his scoring development.