RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesShaquille O'Neal calls out Victor Wembanyama for struggling against Alex Caruso originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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As one of the most dominant big men in NBA history, Shaquille O'Neal always wants players to use their size advantage. He loved doing that throughout his career, which led to four championships and three Finals MVPs to his name.
Since San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has burst onto the scene as a 7'5" giant with guard skills, it has been hard to gauge for some people. Some want him to dominate the paint, but that could limit his versatility as a double-threat on offense in both the perimeter and the paint.
Shaquille O'Neal admits he thought Victor Wembanyama could have done better against Alex Caruso
In the Western Conference Finals series between the Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder , Wembanyama played against all kinds of defensive matchups. The most effective was Isaiah Hartenstein, who upped his physicality to go against the Spurs' giant.
Another player who did well against Wembanyama was Alex Caruso. Since he is a smaller player, he had a lower center of gravity, so he was able to stand his ground more. However, this seemed to bother Wembanyama more because Caruso is not only strong, but he is one of the peskiest defenders to play against.
MORE: Karl-Anthony Towns speaks about why Victor Wembanyama could not guard him in the NBA Finals
For Shaq, that should not have been an issue because he believes that Victor should have overpowered the smaller defender. It is a fair judgement to make, but it is more nuanced than that, especially since Caruso has done well against Nikola Jokic as well.
"Put your elbow right in his little ass neck, spin off him and demand the damn ball... Elbow right in his little neck, spin off him and demand the damn ball... That right there had me hot, I’m like, ‘Come on bruh, they got Caruso on you,'" Shaq said on The Old Man and the Three with Cameron Johnson .
Moving forward, Wembanyama should have a more diverse offensive skill set. Playing against Caruso should be a lesson learned for him, and that will be huge in the upcoming 2026-27 season when the Spurs are not seen as surprise breakout stars anymore.
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