Ahead of the NBA draft this past June, most NBA fans and observers realized that soon-to-be Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama's massive size would by itself serve as an effective deterrent to offensive challengers—even before accounting for his advanced defensive capabilities.
However, just how literal of a problem Wembanyama's size would be to opponents may have been underestimated.
On Tuesday, Raptors guard Dennis Schröder discussed how Wembanyama forced him to put up a pair of bad shots during Toronto's 123-116 overtime win over San Antonio Tuesday—simply by standing in front of the rim.
"I shot two threes over him and I think I airballed them because I wasn't sure if he was blocking them or not," Schröder told The Raptors Show with Will Lou on CJCL-AM in Toronto.
Dennis Schröder says he couldn't really see the rim with Wemby contesting his shots, which caused two airball 3s 👀😂
— BASKETBALL ON 𝕏 (@BasketballOnX) November 8, 2023
" I wasn't sure if he was blocking it or not"
[via @TheRaptorsShow ] pic.twitter.com/2q4lCZxEfD
"Can you see the rim when he's contesting?" one of the panelists asked.
"Not really," Schröder conceded, chuckling.
Despite the seven-foot-four impediment on the floor, Schröder amassed 24 points, three rebounds and six assists in the Raptors' comeback win.