Victor Wembanyama has been the headliner of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. He has dragged the San Antonio Spurs to a Game 7 showdown against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
Yet, even as the 22-year-old continues to dominate, Gilbert Arenas feels there’s a clear gap in his offensive game that he should address this summer.
Gilbert Arenas Wants Victor Wembanyama To Learn More From Dirk Nowitzki
On a recent episode of his podcast, Arenas outlined exactly what the French phenom is missing and pointed to Dirk Nowitzki, who could probably help him fix it. He didn’t shy away from saying what’s really holding Wemby back. He wants him to manage his pace, apply more patience, and use every inch of that 7-foot-4 frame.
“Slow down. You’re in a rush… on a team that wants you to put the ball on the floor. Go work with Dirk this summer. And what I mean work with Dirk is, Dirk understood to keep the ball high. Shot from above his head. So, you couldn’t block his shot. Dirk didn’t move very fast or very quick, but got by everybody, right?”
Nowitzki built a Hall of Fame career despite never being a high-flying athlete. The Dallas Mavericks legend, a 14-time All-Star and the 2007 MVP, made his living by leveraging his 7-foot frame to release shots from all angles that defenders simply could not reach.
His one-legged fadeaway became one of the most unblockable moves in league history. It was all possible because the ball lived above his head, and never in the danger zone where defenders could swat it away from him. His triple-threat positioning, pump fakes, and crisp footwork did the rest of the work.
Arenas wants Wemby to learn that exact blueprint. “Understanding pump fakes, triple threats. Triple threat still is a thing. It is still very powerful. So, anytime you catch the ball mid-post, free-throw line, turn and face first. Keep the ball high.”
He walked through the visual logic of what staying tall would actually do for a player of Wembanyama’s size. “When you keep the ball high, you can pass from here, you can shoot, you are 7’6′.” Two big men trying to deflect a pass or contest a shot from above Wembanyama’s head simply don’t have the reach.
The Spurs star already towers over almost every defender in the league. Bringing the ball down to his waist neutralizes that advantage instantly.
“Stand up. You can shoot from here. If you don’t know who to shoot from here, learn how to shoot from here… Now he gotta play defense, trying to see if he can challenge the shot that high. Now you can keep the ball on the floor, because none of the defense stands. Slow down,” Arenas said.
“Beam down on everybody. Stand up. Use your length. That’s what he needs to do and add to his game. Just turn face and stop.”
Gilbert Arenas says Wemby needs to work with Dirk Nowitzki this summer to help his offense:
“Slow down. You’re in a rush… Go work with Dirk this summer. Dirk understood to keep the ball high. Shot from above his head. You couldn’t block his shot. Dirk didn’t move very fast or… pic.twitter.com/bNCjUueSbM
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) May 29, 2026
Arenas’s frustration with Wemby’s current habits came through in his closing thoughts. “Most of the time you’re dribbling, and you already made the move before you even looked at the rim or any other player.”
Victor Wembanyama Already Has A History Of Studying NBA Greats
Arenas’ suggestions aren’t far-fetched. Wembanyama has spent each of his previous offseasons chasing wisdom from the greats. Last summer alone, the French center trained with Hakeem Olajuwon to refine his footwork and sharpen his post game, he picked Kevin Garnett’s brain on defensive mentality and mental toughness, and even traveled to China for a stretch of meditative training with Shaolin monks.
Adding Nowitzki to his list of mentors will be a great step forward for his career, especially given how closely the European legend’s style aligns with what Arenas is describing.
Wembanyama was held to a series-low 20 points in San Antonio’s 127-114Â Game 5 loss to Oklahoma City. OKC physically pushed him off his spots and overloaded his help. He went passive in multiple stretches.
Arenas has flagged Wemby’s patterns previously as well, when he argued that the Spurs win when offense runs through Wemby and lose when their guards start hunting their own shots.
Wembanyama bounced back in Game 6, going for 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks in a 118-91 clash, forcing a win-or-go-home Game 7.
Wembanyama is averaging 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
