Victor Wembanyama identified isolation scoring as the next part of his game he wants to improve as the Spurs begin another title chase.
Victor Wembanyama named isolation scoring as the part of his offense he wants to improve, answering a question in French Monday during San Antonio Spurs media day at the team's practice facility.
Wembanyama took English-language questions first, then switched to French for reporters from French outlets, including France Télévisions. His French answers below are translated to English.
Wembanyama's full answer ran two short sentences in French: "Of course. Isolation scoring."
Wembanyama Wants to Improve as Isolation Scorer
Last season, 64.7% of Wembanyama's made two-pointers were assisted. In the playoffs, the figure was 61.3%.
He averaged 25.0 points on 16.9 field goal attempts per game in 64 regular-season games. His field goal percentage was 51.2%.
By distance, he shot 78.0% from within 3 feet, 39.1% from 10 to 16 feet, and 42.0% from 16 feet out to the 3-point line, per Basketball-Reference. He made 34.9% of his 3-point attempts.
Wembanyama made 5.8 free throws on 7.0 attempts per game in 2025-26, after averaging 3.4 makes on 4.1 attempts the season before.
Across three seasons, he has averaged 23.4 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. San Antonio drafted him first overall in 2023, and he won Rookie of the Year in 2024.
Wembanyama Says Experience Is What He Still Lacks
What Wembanyama lacks now, by his own assessment, is experience. He said learning how to win consistently has become a major part of his development.
"The player I've become, I'd say a big part of the learning has been learning to win, and learning to win comes down to details, obviously, but details repeated again and again," Wembanyama said. "I think that's the strength of the players who have been through that undisputed No. 1 spot, or who are close to it: learning to do it not over one game, not over five, but over dozens and dozens and hundreds."
"What I'm missing now is experience, and fortunately, I've gained a lot of it these last few months," Wembanyama continued.
Those months included 22 playoff games and 524 postseason points. His 133 made free throws led all players in the playoffs.
He opened the Western Conference finals with 41 points and 24 rebounds in a 122-115 double-overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. San Antonio then lost the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks in five games. Jalen Brunson scored 45 points in the clinching Game 5 and was named Finals MVP.
Over the summer, Spurs video from Wembanyama's workouts in Nanterre showed him hitting a one-footed fadeaway from the post, the shot Dirk Nowitzki made his signature. For a second straight summer, he also trained with Hakeem Olajuwon.
Spurs Expect Opponents' Best Every Night
Wembanyama does not want the Spurs to do anything less than win the West again this season. He said the Finals loss adds motivation, but San Antonio also has to adjust to carrying greater expectations.
"Of course, of course there's that revenge side," Wembanyama explained. "After that, I'm really attacking the season with this idea of bringing the troops together, so that we're all on the same wavelength, all on the same page to attack this season, because the truth is there are expectations all around us."
"We'll get every team's best face every night," Wembanyama continued. "No one will take us lightly, no one will be surprised by our performances. So it's going to take great collective strength to face that."
Oklahoma City got every opponent's best effort last season as defending champion, Wembanyama said, and he expects the Knicks to get the same treatment. San Antonio, after reaching the Finals, now falls into a similar category.
"Of course it has changed, it's undeniable," Wembanyama said. "As I was saying, I think we'll get every team's best face every night, like the former finalists or former champions of all these last years. We know that last year, as soon as a team played OKC, they went all out. And the same for the previous champions. And the Knicks will get the same treatment all year, that's for sure."
"So our status has changed," Wembanyama continued. "We've had a certain level of success, but still not enough. So we're going to have to reach it, and we're going to have to maintain it."
The Knicks and Spurs meet on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden at 11 a.m. CT on ABC and ESPN. New York visits Frost Bank Center on March 7.
Before either game, the Spurs host the Thunder in the Oct. 20 season opener at 8:30 p.m. CT on NBC.
