Victor Wembanyama finished Game 1 of the NBA Finals with a stat line most players would gladly accept. The San Antonio Spurs superstar posted 26 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, and one steal against the New York Knicks.
Yet after the Spurs’ 105-95 loss, one Hall of Famer wasn’t impressed. Speaking on Inside The NBA, Shaquille O’Neal delivered a blunt assessment of Wembanyama’s performance and challenged the young star to make major adjustments heading into Game 2.
“You’ve got to do a better job of making adjustments. Yeah, San Antonio definitely has to. Coach said we’ve got to get Victor the ball a little bit more inside. And for Victor, he’s got to play better. The way he played, 6-for-21 is not going to get it done. Ten threes is not going to get it done. You have to make some mental adjustments and say, ‘We cannot lose Game 2.'”
While Wembanyama’s final numbers looked impressive, the efficiency told a different story. The 22-year-old shot just 6-of-21 from the field and 2-of-9 from three-point range, not 10 three-point attempts as Shaq said, while committing six turnovers. He also experienced one of the strangest stretches of the game, hitting the side of the backboard on a layup attempt before later hitting the top of the backboard on a three-point attempt within the span of 12 seconds.
New York’s defense deserves plenty of credit. Karl-Anthony Towns emerged as the surprise defensive hero of Game 1. According to matchup data, Wembanyama shot just 2-of-12 when guarded directly by Towns. The Knicks consistently used physicality, help defense, and aggressive ball pressure to push Wembanyama away from his preferred spots.
That strategy appeared to frustrate him throughout the night. Even though Wembanyama scored 26 points, many of those came from the free-throw line, where he went 12-of-13. From the field, it was one of his least efficient performances of the postseason.
The timing of those comments is notable.
Before reaching the Finals, Wembanyama led San Antonio through a grueling playoff run. The Spurs defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in five games, the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games, and then survived a seven-game war against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
For the playoffs, Wembanyama is still averaging 23.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 3.4 blocks while shooting 49.8% from the field and 35.8% from three-point range. Those numbers are historic for a player making his first Finals appearance.
Still, Shaq’s criticism reflects what many observers saw in Game 1. The Spurs relied too heavily on perimeter shots from their biggest star. Wembanyama attempted nine threes and only six field goals inside the arc. That is exactly what the Knicks wanted.
If San Antonio hopes to even the series before heading to Madison Square Garden, Shaq believes the formula is simple. Get Wembanyama closer to the basket, force New York’s defense to react, and avoid settling for difficult jumpers.
Otherwise, the Spurs could find themselves heading to New York down 0-2.
