How would Victor Wembanyama fit with the OKC Thunder?

Strengths

Fluidity and Athletic Ability

Most seven-footers lumber up and down the court, often struggling to assimilate to their size and move fluidly. However, Wembanyama moves effortlessly with and without the ball. He runs upright with soft feet and he understands how to move laterally with great control.

Wembanyama mentioned in an interview that his Father taught him the correct way to run and credits a lot of his fluidity to those early principles. Seven-footers are usually heavy-footed with a lumbering action.

Additionally, Wenbanyama shuffles his feet laterally extremely well and distributes his weight evenly. In the Under-19 final against Team USA, the 18-year-old dominated inside and outside, often staying with guards and forwards on the perimeter by shuffling his feet and overwhelming big men. Similar to Holmgren, Wembanyama has also mastered the ability to absorb contact, keep his balance, and swat shots. If he is faked out, he is springy with a fast second jump to recover.

Shooting Ability

It’s extremely rare to find seven-footers that shoot the ball from three-point range with beautiful mechanics. Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant immediately come to mind with Karl Antony-Towns worthy of an honorary mention. Aside from Durant, Wembanyama sets himself apart by being able to shoot off screens, relocate, and pull up from deep.

In the showcase versus Ignite, Wembanyama caught fire from distance. His release point is impossible to block. For his club team, Wembanyama is only shooting 33% from three but they play a more physical brand of basketball with less space. In two exhibition games against Ignite, Wembanyama scored 73 points on 22-44 shooting including 9-18 from three.

Let’s take a look at his weaknesses.