"Wemby's efficiency is bad!" "He takes bad shots!" He's also spending most of his minutes without a real PG.
In the 192 minutes Wemby has spent with Tre Jones on the floor, he averages 26ppg/36 on 58%TS. That's also 33.2p/100 for those curious. This is actually an astoundingly strong blend of volume and efficiency for a rookie.
What's the other factor holding Wemby back? He's playing PF next to Cs clogging the paint and taking away some mismatch opportunities. Wemby has only gotten 124 minutes at Center this season, but when he does? He averages a whopping 33ppg/36 on 62%TS. That's with or without Tre Jones at PG even.
These numbers are absolutely absurd. When the Spurs put him in a position to succeed - either with an actual PG or at his best position - he dominates. He's already been scoring at an all-star level. If you're down on this kid, questioning his scoring and efficiency, I think you need to watch a bit closer.
Source(free account needed)
I think it's great that the Spurs are taking this year to experiment. They own their pick (unlike the Mavs in Luka's rookie year) and can be trusted to not draft a bust (unlike Lebron's Cavs in 04). A golden opportunity to find their Westbrook/Harden.
But I also think they should start trying harder to win games next season. It's very important to not let a losing culture take hold and stunt player development i.e. Detroit, Houston before this season.
I think even in this regard Wemby is a special case.
His competitive priority this season is presumably the home Olympics, it's a much bigger deal than trying to chase a play-in place with this team. And given the season Rudy is having playing PF is incredibly useful for that.
Keeping him happy, keeping him fit and getting a good draft pick is so much more important that sweating for the play in.
I’m really surprised the Spurs haven’t traded for Fournier or Hayes (or even Batum), guys who’s stock is low or are at the end of their careers but will likely be on the French Olympics for Paris 2024
Cheap for Spurs + Build chemistry and in game reps with Wemby to keep him happy and comfortable