The data doesn't lie|Revealing the secret of Wenban's change to play center is in full swing, and Bobo cultivates two future partners at the same time

Against the Hawks, Wembanyama played 27 minutes, shooting 12-of-18 from the field and 1-of-5 from three-point range, scoring 26 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 5 blocks. Although he played nearly 12 minutes in the first half without scoring and shot 0-of-4, Wenban ushered in a burst in the second half, shooting 12-of-14 and almost leading the team to a 35-point comeback. Wembanyama, who switched to playing as a center forward, is becoming more and more handy. Shams of The Athletic broke the news that Wembanyama will compete in the All-Star Game Skills Challenge, and there is no doubt that he will be the tallest player in history to compete in the Skills Challenge.

After switching to the center, Wenban's data has been comprehensively improved

At the start of the regular season, the Spurs made it clear that they didn't consider Wemban a center, despite being the tallest player in the league. Wemban was named a striker in the summer league, and when the regular season began, the top pick was scheduled to start alongside Zach Collins, who was designated as the team's center.

Yes, Bobo will arrange for a period of time for Wemban to be the only big man on the Spurs court, but the time is relatively limited. The Spurs' original plan changed on Dec. 9, and after losing 15 games in a row, the Spurs replaced Collins with guard Branham, putting Wembanyama as the starting center.

Wembanyama had 21 points, 20 rebounds and 4 blocks that night. The move didn't immediately end the Spurs' losing streak — they lost 112-121 to the Chicago Bulls, followed by two more losses to set the longest losing streak in franchise history with 18 straight losses. However, Wemban's efficiency in the center forward position is impressive.

In the past 15 games, Wembanyama has played as the starting center, averaging 20.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.9 blocks in 26.6 minutes per game, shooting 49.6% from the field and 32.9% from three-point range. Compare the stats before he switched to starting center: he averaged 30.2 minutes per game, scored 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.6 blocks, shooting 43.2% from the field and 26.5% from three-point range.

Wembanyama has played less minutes, but his attacking efficiency has improved significantly, and almost all of his stats are rising. A big reason for this is that he has a better view of the basket when playing center.

After switching to the center, the change in Wenban's attack and defense

The data also showed that Wembanyama had a true shooting percentage of 52.2 percent and an average shooting distance of 14.6 feet (4.45 meters) before Dec. 9. After Dec. 9, he shot 58.9 percent from the field and shot 12.7 feet (3.87 meters) at an average. After switching to center, his attack is closer and his attack is more confident.

Wemban, in the center position, has also changed its defensive duties. According to Second Spectrum, he has defended the opposing center's forward 59 percent in positional battles since Dec. 9, compared to just 34 percent before the starting line-up. And that's not even counting the showdowns against Anthony Davis (31 rounds) and Porzingis (20 rounds), both of whom are listed as strikers by Second Spectrum, but they, like Wemban, are already starting centre-forwards for their respective teams.

Another big change in the position could be Wembanyama's pass. He improved his assist average from 2.5 to 3.6 per game and recorded his first career triple-double — 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists — in a Jan. 11 win over the Pistons.

Wembanyama didn't care so much about location. 'I'm ready to play in any role, in any position, especially in attack, I might be playing a number five on paper, but I'm going to play a number one 30 percent of the time, and I like the way we play, so the position really doesn't matter. ”

Popovich develops future partners

Wembanyama is undoubtedly the cornerstone of the Spurs' team, and in Bobo's opinion, who could be a long-term partner for the Spurs' top pick in the future? This season, 12 players on the Spurs team have played at least 10 minutes with Wembanyama, and only Jones and Vassell have a positive net efficiency when they are on the same court as Wemban.

Wembanyama and Vassell have played 562 minutes, with an offensive efficiency of 104.4 and a defensive efficiency of 103.9, winning opponents by 0.5 points per 100 possessions. Wembanyama played 411 minutes with Jones, with an offensive efficiency of 109.7 and a defensive efficiency of 105.0, winning opponents by 4.7 points per 100 possessions.

Learning to play alongside Wemban, a key theme of Vassell's season, signed a five-year, $146 million contract extension with the Spurs before the season. Vassell is already seen as the cornerstone of the Spurs behind Wemban, and the new roster helps both of them continue to grow. The number of screens between the two has been increasing, with Wemban setting up 9.5 screens with the ball per 100 possessions before December 27 and 17.6 after December 27.

Jones and Wemban's fit is also getting better, and if the Spurs fail to bring in a better point guard, Jones is one of the best options available.

For Spurs, the results of this season are not important, the important thing is to develop Wembanyama and find the best combination with him. So far this season, the Spurs have played 39 games, and Popovich has used 12 different starters. With Wemban's cornerstone, the future of Spurs is bright.