Shaquille O’Neal does not usually offer free advice. When he does, it is worth paying attention. Victor Wembanyama just got a piece of it, and the message was about as direct as you would expect from a man who built his career on physical domination.
Shaq, speaking on his podcast this week, told Wembanyama that he needs to add real weight this offseason. Not bulk-up-for-Instagram weight. Actual functional weight that will let him hold his ground against the Brunsons and Towns of the world. Shaq pointed to the Knicks series as evidence that Wemby was being moved off his spots because the Spurs star did not have the lower body strength to anchor against bigger players.
This is the same critique David West offered earlier in the week, except Shaq is the most physically imposing center in modern NBA history. When he says you need to add weight, the words carry weight.
The numbers from the Finals tell the story. The Knicks, particularly through Karl-Anthony Towns, were able to drive Wemby out of position on a regular basis. KAT is 240 pounds. Wemby is generously listed at 230, and most who have seen him in person know that listing is a stretch. The difference is enough that on a screen or a post-up, Wemby ends up reset further from the rim than he should be.
Shaq’s specific advice was about 15 pounds. Not 30. He said going too far the other way would slow Wemby down and take away the one thing nobody else in the league has, his speed and reach at the position. Functional 15 pounds. Built in the weight room. Maintained through diet. The Joel Embiid offseason model from his prime years.
Here is why the advice lands. Wembanyama has answered every other question. He can shoot from anywhere on the floor. He can defend in space. He has the touch and the timing to win a Defensive Player of the Year award. The one thing he cannot yet do is bully a 240-pound power forward in the post. The summer is when you fix that.
Shaq also offered a free tip on the post game itself, which is the other obvious gap in Wemby’s offense. He said Wemby should pick three moves and only three moves. A baseline jump hook. A face-up with a shoulder drop. A turnaround with the right shoulder. Stop trying to be everything. Be three things. Be devastatingly good at those three things.
That is real coaching. The kind of advice you only get from someone who has been there. Patrick Ewing built his career on the same approach. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had the sky hook, the baseline turnaround, and the face-up jumper. Three moves, mastered, done.
If Wembanyama listens, the Spurs are back in the Finals next year and probably winning. He is already one of the most physically gifted players the league has ever seen. If he adds 15 pounds and a real post game, he is going to be the best player in the world before he turns 25. Shaq does not give free advice often. Wemby would be foolish not to take this one.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
