Spurs’ Gregg Popovich on Victor Wembanyama: ‘I Don’t Categorize Him’ as a Center

Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

Victor Wembanyama has no set position, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich believes.

The 7-foot-4 rookie has typically guarded opposing teams’ centers, but on offense he plays in all areas of the floor. Per ESPN’s Andrew Lopez, Popovich doesn’t see his star rookie as a traditional 5.

“I don’t categorize him as a 5,” Popovich said. “He’s guarding the 5, but I mean, he took six 3s the last game. He gets it on the wing, up top, on the block, in the paint. He’s everywhere offensively. If you want to call him a 5, that’s just who he guards.”

Wembanyama has been pretty much everywhere on the court for the Spurs this season, from playing in the paint to bringing the ball up the court. He’s averaging 4.8 three-point attempts per game, but also gets his shots off around the rim. On defense, he’s averaging three blocks per game, which is tied with Brook Lopez as the best average in the league.

Wembanyama gives Popovich a unique player to work with in several aspects, but his ability to guard centers well while also forcing mismatches on offense can cause headaches for opposing teams.

Now with Wembanyama getting his footing, it’s a matter of getting everything to gel together. The Spurs are the youngest team in the league with an average age of 23.52 years old, so naturally there have been some growing pains. San Antonio has won just three games this season and it has not won since the first week of November as it is mired in an 18-game losing streak.

San Antonio has plenty of potential with Wembanyama at the center of a young core, and fans are hoping the potential will translate to wins as time passes.