San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is widely recognized as one of the best defensive players in the NBA. While his unanimous DPOY award exemplifies this, Wembanyama’s defensive impact has been more apparent in the ongoing Western Conference Finals series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With Victor Wembanyama’s size, athleticism, and mobility enabling him to cover a large area defensively, the Spurs have benefited from his presence. However, when asked by Steve Nash about limiting Wembanyama’s influence on the “Mind the Game” podcast, LeBron James shared an insightful response.
“Obviously, you’ve got to have the right personnel,” James began. “The first thing that goes in my mind is like, can you put five playmakers or five shooters out on the floor at one time with the size? A lot of teams don’t have that ability. But OKC has that ability, Cleveland has that ability, and the Knicks have that ability, where they put 4-5 guys out on the floor that can shoot, pass, or dribble. That’s the first thing.”
As James noted, all the teams in the Conference Finals boast flexible lineups with talented players capable of fulfilling multiple roles. With the Thunder featuring players like Chet Holmgren, the Cavs having Evan Mobley, and the Knicks having Karl-Anthony Towns, each team possesses the tools to neutralize Victor Wembanyama.
“When he’s over-helping at times, or they [Spurs] get broken down, guys have got to be ready to catch-and-shoot or catch-and-playmake,” James continued. “And trying to keep him above the break as much as possible. Like, whoever he’s defending, if you have the right personnel, you have to stop allowing him to be the low man.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s the strong corner or the weak corner because it’s so much easier for him to get there. If you’re running the pick-and-roll, try to keep his man on the high side, away from the double, so if he is trying to track the roller to the rim, it is so much longer of a closeout to the slot or the top of the key.”
In these actions, James highlights the importance of team coordination and positioning in taking Victor Wembanyama out of the game. While noting his reach and ability to cover large distances, teams must keep him away from the ball or force him to cover more ground before he contests, thus giving shooters ample time to get a better look.
Contrarily, however, LeBron James also emphasized putting pressure on Victor Wembanyama in one-on-one situations, stating:
“If you put him in pick-and-roll actions with a stretch 4 or a stretch 5 or two guys who can do multiple things, then he has to guard the ball. Now you take away his ability to take the weak side, if they’re in switching groups.”
“You have to kind of manipulate- I won’t say manipulate because it’s putting him in positions where, not saying he won’t be effective, but he will be less effective than if he were the low man or if he’s guarding a 5 who only does his role,” James added. “You have to put him in compromising positions.”
LeBron James reiterated the importance of having the right personnel in pulling off such a strategy. Despite that, he clearly noted that this would only render Victor Wembanyama slightly less effective than he currently is.
The Spurs’ superstar has been nothing short of dominant in the WCF, averaging 31.0 points, 20.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 3.5 blocks per game. However, he isn’t the only elite defender on the Spurs’ roster.
With players like Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell also stepping up, San Antonio is a much deeper defensive unit than advertised. Thus, even if the Thunder succeed in neutralizing Wembanyama as a threat, breaking past the perimeter remains a challenge.
For the most part, OKC did a better job of restricting Victor Wembanyama in Game 2, courtesy of a solid performance by Isaiah Hartenstein. Now, with the series heading to San Antonio for the next set of games, it will be intriguing to see how the Spurs respond.
