Victor Wembanyama dazzled in the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on Sunday night, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 127-125 win. While Wembanyama’s heroics got the Spurs the win, their acting head coach Mitch Johnson made it clear postgame that he didn’t like what he saw from him in the first three quarters.
“I thought he had some very poor moments in the first three quarters in terms of fundamentals and solid basketball,” Johnson said. “And it’s a testament to him, his ability to lock in and I thought in the fourth quarter he was amazing and I thought he dominated.”
Wembanyama recorded his first triple-double of the season against the Kings, finishing with 34 points (11-17 FG), 14 rebounds, 11 assists, one steal, and three blocks. The 20-year-old didn’t play all that well in the first three quarters but made amends for that with 13 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in the fourth.
As Johnson stated, Wembanyama was dominant in the final period and you want to see more of that from him. Later on during the press conference, Johnson was asked if the fact that one can point to many moments where Wembanyama can be better after such a night speaks to just how incredible he is.
“It’s his biggest strength and at times that can be people’s not weakness, but the things that they have to grow into, or learn from is, ‘He can do everything.’ And so, when you have that many options on the menu to think you’re gonna pick the right one, every time, is tough,” Johnson stated. “And he’s a young player that’s learning how to use all these weapons that he has.
“And so, I think there’s obviously tremendous belief and great support for him, as he learns when and where to utilize all those weapons,” Johnson continued. “And I think just constantly holding himself accountable as he does of the fundamental simple stuff is what will allow those things to pop off the page.”
Johnson, who is filling in for head coach Gregg Popovich, also added that Wembanyama is very coachable. While some star players might not give an adequate amount of respect to a fill-in, that doesn’t seem to be the case here.
Johnson took over as the Spurs’ acting head coach on Nov. 2, after Popovich suffered a mild stroke. The 38-year-old has gotten off to a good start, as the team is 9-6 under him following the win over the Kings.
The Spurs are 11-9 on the season as a whole and I must say I am a bit surprised by them. They won 22 games last season and it looks like they’ll easily surpass that win total this time around.
Before the season, I didn’t think the Spurs would be in contention for a spot in the playoffs, but it looks like they will be in the mix. They also have a shot at advancing to the knockout stage of the NBA Cup.
The Spurs will take on the Phoenix Suns next in a cup game at Footprint Center on Tuesday at 9 PM ET. Both teams have a 2-1 record at this point and the winner of this contest will most probably advance to the next stage of the competition.
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