Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals was an absolute thriller, as the San Antonio Spurs emerged victorious behind a stellar performance by Victor Wembanyama. Although Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder made a valiant effort to outlast San Antonio, it wasn’t enough to stop the Spurs’ superstar.
The Spurs stole a 122-115 win in double overtime behind Victor Wembanyama’s monster double-double of 41 points and 24 rebounds. Given that the Thunder had virtually no response for Wembanyama on either end of the floor, during the postgame press conference, both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams addressed the challenge of attacking Wembanyama.
Jalen Williams (26 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST, 11-25 FG) noted the inherent difficulty of facing Wembanyama by stating:
“Just figuring out different ways to move him around and still be aggressive. I thought we had a lot of good shots. We’ve just got to make them.”
“It’s more so about being smart while attacking him,” he continued. “Obviously, head-on, he’s probably going to block your shot. But the more you can move him around and, again, I don’t think you can be shy going in there… You’ve got to know where they’re rotating. When you’ve got a player like that, they’re built around rotating if he goes, so we’ve got to figure out different ways to attack them.”
As Williams mentioned, the Spurs’ defense is coordinated with Wembanyama’s movement. But considering the sheer area he can cover, it is difficult to spot the cracks and exploit them in time.
It was apparent that Wembanyama’s presence was affecting many Thunder players, preventing them from performing their best. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a prime example, as he notched 24 points and 12 rebounds on 7-23 shooting from the field.
While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shouldered the burden of the loss by claiming he needed to be better, the Thunder superstar also addressed the manner in which OKC could break down Wembanyama defensively while speaking with the media.
“You’ve just got to be aggressive, but also be smart more than anything,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “Obviously, he is very big at the rim. But we still found cracks in that at times. We’ve just got to be willing to work [on] possessions and make sure we get the best shot each time down, and just be patient with that.”
By the looks of it, both Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander effectively highlight the same points when it comes to challenging Wembanyama. It is evident that going up against the reigning DPOY is not for the faint of heart, but it is even more important to have a solid game plan when taking on the Spurs’ defense.
For the most part, the Thunder looked overwhelmed going up against Wembanyama in the paint. Players who would typically attack the rim and score easy points found themselves doubting themselves after beating their man. To that point, even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked hesitant to attack the paint with Wembanyama lying in wait during regulation.
Thunder guard Alex Caruso was the only exception, scoring a team-high 31 points on 11-19 shooting from the field. Although most of his points came from his shooting beyond the arc (8-14 3PT), the few times he succeeded in going downhill could provide a template for OKC to attack Wembanyama in the following matchups.
As Williams mentioned, the real challenge for the Thunder going into Game 2 won’t be breaking down Wembanyama, but rather the Spurs’ defensive system as a whole. Given that the team moves as a cohesive unit, constantly switching and communicating each time the ball is passed around, the Thunder will have their work cut out for them.
