Player Observation: Victor Venbanyama, unique

One question.

How many years will it take us to meet a Viktor Vembanyama?

10 years? 20 years? 50 years?

Or maybe we've never seen it.

Look at this guy.

226cm height, 244cm arm span.

You must know that the 221cm Porzingis has an arm span of only 229cm, and our "Great Wall of China" Boss Yao is a famous short-handed monster, with an arm span and height of 226cm...

And the guys we now call "spider monsters" – Davis with an arm span of 227cm and Bamba with an arm span of 239cm – are much shorter than Venbayama.

That means the kid has the scariest defensive area the NBA has ever had just standing on the court.

Height? Arm length? That alone is not enough to surprise people. After all, there have been elders like Manute Poll and Sean Bradley in NBA history.

But what if you fill up dynamic talent on the basis of static talent?

For example, the shoulder can hit the rebound? Explosiveness and physical coordination like a striker and a defender?

"He's simply a self-built player in NBA2K games, or the kind that opened the cheat code."

"In the past few years, many people have been called "unicorns," but he is more like an alien. ”

Comments from Stephen Curry and LeBron James.

Look at this guy, it only takes one dribble to dunk from the three-point line to the basket - and there's obviously a lot of room left:

His bounce speed is not even inferior to this year's star show Scott Henderson, known as "Little Wei Shao":

Like Brother Alphabet, a quick attack is commonplace for him:

There are many geniuses in NBA history, but you have to admit that they surpass Venbanyama in both height and dynamic talent - I really haven't seen it.

This guy is unique.

"He has a chance to be one of the best players – not at his age, not in Europe – he can be one of the best players of all time."

Although Wenban's physical talent is already historical, if it is only physical talent, it is not enough for "alphabet brother" Giannis Antetokounmpo to make such an assessment.

What really makes Venbanyama the best prospective rookie since LeBron James is his technique.

"Sometimes I play Trae Jones (point guard) on the court, sometimes I play Zach Collins (center), there are really no limits. Actually, on the training ground, it depends more on where I can play as a defender or as a striker. ”

At the end of Spurs training camp, Vembanyama said so.

He's not lying. And what gives him this position all-round is his almost "omnipotent" ball skills.

In this article, we will analyze the skills of Venbanyama and the development prospects these techniques will bring to him based on his performance in Ligue 1, LNB Pro A League and the UEFA Champions League.

How should the opponent defend Vembanyama?

Before analyzing Venbanyamar's attack, I hope to bring you a little into the perspective of the opponent.

When you're a team manager and Venbanyama is opposite you, how do you want to defend him?

Would you use a big player to match him, or would you use a smaller player?

Do you want to defend him on the right side? Or the left side?

Do you want to switch defenses when cover happens? Or choose to squeeze through?

Would you like to let him go one-on-one? Or do you want to assist and wrap when he has the ball?

With your answer, let's take a look at the performance of Vemban Yama.

When the opponent defends him with a big man

Although Venbanyama says he has no space limit, he should still be in the No. 4 and No. 5 positions most of the time.

Yes, he is 224cm tall, but if you want to defend him with a player who can match his size, you have to think about it - because the first thing you need to deal with is the "spatial attribute" of Venbanyama.

"The biggest difference between Vimbanyama and the rest of the players is that he's a big guy with the height of a giant and a shot without dead ends," said Zach Collins of the Spurs.

As a big man, Venbanyama's shooting ability is one of the things that sets him apart.

He has a smooth, beautiful, fast shooting hand, likes to shoot outside the three-point line, and not only catches three-pointers, but also cuts out three-point points with such cover.

This will be the first dilemma the league's biggest men face when defending Venbanyama: defending Venbanyama with three points and a frame, and only one of the two.

If they don't prevent it, they risk being shot through by Venbanyama, and if they choose to prevent it, the other two skills of Venbanyama will come into play:

Scouts from The Ringer reported:

"Although Venbanyama is a player whose primary goal is to score, he also has the feeling of organising his offense, and in positional warfare he is particularly good at passing the ball to an empty player when forming a high and low position, or forming teammates under the basket."

In both rounds, Venbanyama did exactly that - when the opponent used his own center against Venbanyama, Venbanyama could easily use his shooting threat to move the opposing center out of the box, and then use the pass to form a high-low match with his teammates in the low post.

"It's really fun to play with Venbanyama, he's very versatile."

"I'm not just an interior player, I can shoot, I'll be in and out of the box. And Venbanyama can run all over the field, I can work with him high and low, and vice versa" - again from Zach Collins.

And even if there are no teammates with low-post offensive ability, as long as the opponent's big man can be moved out of the box, one-on-one Venbanyama can solve the problem:

As a player with a height of 224cm, Bunbanyama is incredibly strong in his control of movement, man-ball combination, direction change amplitude and movement speed when breaking through the frame.

He can make all kinds of drastic changes on the court and cross people — like Kevin Durant — but he's one size bigger.

If you use an inside player against him, trust me, no one can keep up with his pace.

Take a look at this ball:

Crotch dribbling + Buddha feint + step down the ball breakthrough + left side breakthrough air for right hand pull rod...

Isn't it, buddy you Owen?

Obviously the height of the inside, but with the outside shooting and ball holding ability, some of the game clips of Venbanyama easily remind you of Kevin Durant, and against such players, coaches in the league have come up with a solution in the past:

Let a small man who is defensively tough, solid and fast-handed to play - jam them in the set, prevent these "unicorns" from getting off the ball easily, and don't give them the opportunity to dribble to find rhythm. The masterpiece is Tony Allen of the Grizzlies.

So will such a defensive approach work for Venbanyama?

Sorry, at least, this trick will not work in Ligue 1.

When the opponent defends him with a small man

The biggest difference between Venbanyama and big projective men such as Durant and Nowitzki is the vertical jump threat in the area under the basket.

Compared with the 211cm Durant and the 214cm Nowitzki, his height is more than 10 centimeters taller, and the gap between arm span and athleticism is even greater - those short players of about 1.9 to 2 meters may be able to interfere with Durant and Nowitzki by circling forward, but the height gap between them and Vembanyama is close to 20 centimeters - replace the numbers with 1.8 and 2 meters, you can feel the gap.

In this gap, it's hard for the opposing side to really stop him from catching the ball by going around the front – and his height and rollover jumper skills also give him more finishing range, and if the opponent really defends him with a relatively small player, he just needs to go to the basket (or with some off-ball cover or something) and raise his hands - the opponent is only able to see.

In addition to the low position, another skill of Vembanyama is also fatal for defending his small players:

Not only can he go to the basket, but the key is that he is also a "three-threat" player with and without the ball (both under the basket, mid-range, and three-point areas) - when a small player defends him, a simpler way than under the basket is to ask for the ball directly from mid-range or cut out with cover, using his height to pull out his hand over their heads.

With his shot height of nearly 350cm, this kind of dry pulling mid-distance entry is almost entirely up to him, such a no-ball catch shot can help him save physical strength and reduce the consumption in grappling with small people.

At the moment, Venbanyama is not very good at receiving mid-range, and he actually has another more mature skill - back singles.

Despite being only 19 years old, the fact is that Venbanyama is already an expert in back-to-back singles:

He can hit his back on the left side and turn around and jump shot.

You can also turn around and turn over for a jumper after hitting your right back.

Similarly, on the left side it is also possible to turn forward and back up for jumpers.

The right side can also turn back and back to jump shot.

On the left and right sides, you can turn back and forth and backward jumpers without distinction - after playing the ball and practicing this trick, you know that this is difficult (in fact, many NBA players are only used to turning in one direction) - and when you can turn and roll jumpers in any direction on either side, the threat will be completely different.

Because of this threat of turning in any direction, Venbanyama was able to make such a Kobe-Bryant-style shoulder feint to turn over and jumper.

And of course, he has more than just a backward jumper when he singles his back:

When the opponent is fierce, he will use the power to play, turn and wipe in, and finish with a low hand layup or throw.

(The only flaw may be Venbanyama's non-dominant hand - whether on the left or right, he prefers to finish with his right hand, and his left hand is significantly less efficient, which is a future improvement for him)

And above, it is a one-on-one situation, in fact, Bunbanyama's blocking is also his powerful weapon - when the shooting is not good, he can also provide a lot of game value as a strong finisher.

How do you deal with the Venbanyama blocking?

Venbanyama has an extremely exaggerated stride length and downward speed, and his stature and athleticism give him a natural advantage in "eating bread".

He can complete the aerial relay directly past the opponent, or he can dribble the inside after receiving the ball, and when he blocks with a defender who is a projection threat, as long as the opposing center delays a little, he can teleport to the basket with superhuman physical fitness to complete the "cake".

It's a bit like Anthony Davis – the ability to squeeze defense with a powerful downward squeeze can create opportunities for teammates even as an "endpoint" (which is strategic).

And, unlike his French predecessor Gobert, switching defenses is not a good choice for defending Venbanyama.

If the opponent chooses to switch defenses – Venbanyama has such a large receiving radius that teammates only need to throw the ball into the air when the defender in front of him is a small man – the problem is solved.

The tactical value of Venbanyama as a cover man is enormous - and not limited to the above blocking method, thanks to Venbanyama's comprehensive offensive methods, he can also play various types of cover:

For example, cooperate with the teammates' low-post singles, play "Post up stack" cover, and directly cut into the basket to score points.

For example, play "ghost cover", directly disassemble to the three-point line to catch and shoot the shot.

As a big man who can go down, shoot from the outside, dribble singles, and eat misalignments, the tactical possibilities offered by Vembanyama are almost limitless.

And of course, the most fascinating part of Venbanyama's game is his ability to create shooting space as a seven-foot man.

"Big Gobert who plays like Durant"

Hold the ball from the outside and complete the dunk by turning back and forth to confuse the opponent into the inside. (Still in the case of big and small)

The center of gravity changed sharply backwards, and the non-dominant hand started the ball and hit a three-point shot with a sharp stop - Durant's trick.

First a quick first step to throw off the opponent, then the continuum forward to find rhythm, and finally the dominant hand to get the ball and step back to hit a three-point shot - similar to Doncic or Harden's trick (though not enough).

Mid-range catches are scored by a wide back-up jumper.

After dribbling, he shot three points on a horseback on a horse (in fact, this ridiculous shot has become his signature move)

If you want to show the highlights of Wenbanyama's singles, I may not be able to show it in 100 more pictures.

The scary thing about Wen Banyama is not only that he "can shoot" and "dribble", but also that he shows at this age, such as the ball sense, the ability to combine people and balls, the use of high-level footsteps, and the maturity of shooting mechanisms - it is the most "terrifying" thing.

In Ligue 1, he showed all his talent on the pitch, even some flashy things, which partly affected his attacking efficiency – but young people are artists at this stage of their careers, not just to win, but more to show themselves and explore their possibilities.

LeBron, Durant, Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry, we've seen how they played brilliantly when they were younger, and then simplified their game and became more efficient as they got older.

Venbanyama can do the same thing – he just needs to play a little simpler, reduce some of the frequency of Kyrie Irving, reduce some difficult shots, find his dessert area, read the game, find the weak points of the opponent's defense - these are all things he is not doing now, and when he starts learning this, his offensive efficiency will soon improve qualitatively.

And don't forget, he's only 19 years old – you can recall how technically LeBron and Giannis were at 19. There is no doubt that there is still a lot of room for improvement in Venbanyama's technology.

For a nineteen-year-old of this size, Venbanyama's offense is already breathtakingly good, but his offense isn't even his strongest game skill?

Defensive end modifier

Yes, there is no doubt that the strongest game in Venbanyama at the moment is his defense.

Terrifying height and arm span and terrifying athleticism make him a completely bug-level presence on the defensive end - his defensive coverage area simply looks unreal.

For example, in the above round, do you dare to believe that someone can block the opponent's three-point shot when they are defending and sinking?

There's a strategic problem when facing Venbanyama — it's better that you don't have a guy on the court who can't shoot — otherwise, you're going to see the Spurs put Ventanyama in the right position and then focus on assisting the defense and covering up every shot that rushes into the box.

Without a doubt, he's the kind of guy who can prop up an entire team's defense alone — like Anthony Davis and Jalen Jackson Jr. — but with a higher reach and longer reach.

In addition to the ability to protect the frame, the similarities between Bunbanyama and these two are their change resilience:

Yes, Venbanyama is known as the "lower Gobert", but in fact, even in the lower limit he is higher than Gobert - Gobert is a four-time DPOY with the frame, but he can only take one defensive approach.

And Venbanyama is not.

He can play back like Gobert or change defenses infinitely like Davis and Adebayo – and you can further feel his incredible agility and coordination during these rounds, not only his vertical acceleration is fast, but his traverse speed is also ridiculously fast.

Not to mention 224cm, it's not even like the traverse speed that a player over 210cm can have.

For now, Venbanyama's only defensive flaw may be that he likes jumping too much — and it's understandable that when a person has such physical fitness, he feels like he can cover every shot.

But as he grows in his gaming experience, Venbanyama will know that there are many times when with his height and reach does not need to jump to deliver a five-ball cap, and only raising his hands is enough to complete the interference of the attack - just like the picture above.

When he learns this under Popovich and adds some muscle, what kind of defensive player will he grow? I can't even imagine it.

epilogue

Finally, I would like to say about Venbanyama.

New things are always accompanied by doubt.

As people gradually calmed down from the excitement of "witnessing alien creatures", the stubborn old ideas in their heads made them start to look at Venbanyama unfavorably:

Some say that Venbanyama is just a tall, thin man who usurped power;

Some say it's a mistake for him to shoot with the ball on the outside;

Some say that let him do these things, it is better to let an "orthodox" defender do it ...

They say B seems reasonable, but I want to remind everyone – we've heard that before.

Before Magic first stepped into the NBA, people said he was too tall, too inflexible as a guard, and he was bound to make crazy mistakes;

When Nowitzki made jumpers from the outside again and again, people said he was too soft for this style of play to succeed;

At the beginning of Durant's career, people questioned his confrontation, questioned his physical fitness, questioned him as just a tall skinny man obsessed with dribbling jumpers;

Jokic also faced these doubts, and before he won the championship, many people said that he was just a substitute: "stole the job of point guard" and "there is nothing remarkable".

But in the end, we all know the result.

People habitually deny "extraordinary" things, but in fact, it is more important to see the possibilities.

Venbanyama doesn't shoot very well from the field right now, but in fact, many players don't shoot as well as they did at their peak at such a young age.

We can see in Venbanyama's movements that he can develop – he already has a good technical foundation, his technique will continue to improve, and when his technique becomes better, combined with his physical talent, it will present a terrifying growth curve - and in the end, he may well become a player that we have never seen before.

He has no template.

He goes beyond common sense.

He is unique.