Will the return of star center Victor Wembanyama be enough for the Spurs to slow the balanced Thunder?
LAS VEGAS — He began the season with force, displaying much of that at both ends of the floor, all while showing a more refined and mature flow, and this combination sent shivers through the opposition.
Yes, before a calf strain brought everything to a temporary halt, there was no question about it, literally or otherwise — stopping Victor Wembanyama was a tall order for anyone.
And speaking of that turn of a phrase, same goes for the Oklahoma City Thunder, now 24-1 and swinging sledgehammers since opening night.
So we have arrived here, to this desert basketball oasis, to learn which order will loom tallest come tipoff on Saturday (9 ET, Prime). Really, that’s the flavor of this Emirates NBA Cup West Semifinal — can the return of Wemby enable the San Antonio Spurs to pump the brakes on the Thunder’s historic roll?
Strangely enough, the Spurs have done quite well without Wemby, thank you. They’re 9-3 this season when he’s out of the lineup, and he has been since Nov. 15 because of the calf. The Spurs played it cautiously during his rehab, given how calf strains can mushroom and become much more troublesome.
But Wembanyama walked into T-Mobile Arena, took part in Friday’s practice, then flashed the thumbs up.
“I’m just a little tired,” he said. “But right now, I’m feeling great. I think we have done the right things over this past however long it’s been, three weeks, one month, and I’m feeling great. I’m ready to go.”
This is a refreshing development, not only for the Spurs, but for members of the Somebody Please Beat OKC fan club. Everything changes when he’s on the floor, not only for the Spurs, but the team across mid-court as well.
Suddenly, that opposition must think twice before attacking the rim for layups and dunks. Suddenly, there’s a lot more competition for rebounds. Suddenly, there are matchup issues — like, seriously, how many players can measure up to a 7-foot-5 center who can do damage in the paint, from mid-range and from the 3-point stripe?
And this goes for OKC, by far the best defensive team in the NBA and among the best all time.
Victor Wembanyama racks up 40 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks in the Spurs’ season-opening 125-92 win.
Wembanyama was massive on opening night when he manhandled Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks with a 40-point, 15-rebound night and didn’t taper much, if any. The very next game he blocked nine shots in New Orleans, then dropped 31 points against Brooklyn.
His season developed a special flavor; it was Kia MVP-like, perhaps a natural progression for a player who entered the NBA with such high hopes and reasonable promise and gradually improved.
When the calf injury hit, the Spurs were 8-4. There was no timetable for his return — these injuries can be tricky — so the Spurs had to navigate a trail that suddenly seemed treacherous. An unexpected development occurred: San Antonio wasn’t so vulnerable.
The response in the rotation was a collective one. Almost everyone raised their level of play, and the Spurs never experienced a losing streak. From De’Aaron Fox to Keldon Johnson to Stephon Castle to Devin Vassell and others, the Spurs prospered and became one of the league’s surprises.
That’s why OKC, even with their dominant showing so far, understands how this latest opponent could be different than the others.
“They are a really good team whether he is playing or not,” said OKC guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, “It’s going to come down to the things it usually does when you play really good teams — the X’s and O’s, the attention to detail, the 50/50 balls, being physical, being smart out there. It should be a good matchup for us. Good test.”
Yes, that’s understandable. But there’s the Spurs without Wemby, and then there’s the Spurs with him, even if their record with Wemby doesn’t reflect as favorably.
The Spurs hope to simply and easily revert to normal Saturday, now that they’re complete again and Wemby’s in the lineup. They’re certain to keep the reigns tight on Wemby, but if the score is close and fourth quarter help is needed, do they pull back or release?
Coach Mitch Johnson didn’t see this is a debate. Of course — caution will be the rule.
“Yes,” Johnson said. “He’s going to be tired. The excitement, the mental fatigue, he was tired the first time I saw him play live against video guys. He is just so excited to be back out on the court. So obviously in a game like this, it would be, regardless. But I can only expect the excitement for him and want to get out there. So I would suspect an early sub and not his normal minutes.”
That doesn’t mean Wemby won’t provide an impact before the minutes restrictions hit.
“We want him to continue to come out here and be himself,” said Fox. “We don’t want him to change the way that he plays. Obviously with him missing time, I think we have been playing extremely well even when he has been out. But him coming back into the fold, I think that adds to us offensively and defensively. So we want him to continue to be himself.”
Regardless, it’ll be a steep challenge for the Spurs. The Thunder right now are in another world. Gilgeous-Alexander is sitting fourth quarters; no need to check back into games that are secured by OKC’s deep bench. Chet Holmgren is feeling frisky and starting to drop double-doubles. Speaking of feeling it, Jalen Williams, back in the fold after missing roughly two months, is getting more comfortable by the game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is leading on both ends of the court in OKC.
The Thunder seem so balanced and poetic that it’s hard to spot a weakness, mainly because there aren’t any glaring ones. Even if Shai has an off shooting night — and he has made at least half his shots in 12 straight games — there’s so much in reserve. Anyway, OKC’s defense is capable of bailing the team out even if Shai and Holmgren misfire.
It will likely take the Spurs’ best effort of the season to hand the Thunder a second loss to the season. And even if their center doesn’t spend much time on the floor in the fourth quarter himself, he’s feeling confident sitting on the bench.
“I’ve been really proud,” Wembanyama said. “Of course, it’s been hard to watch from my couch, but almost every night, they have proven me that I have nothing to worry about. The brand of basketball we are playing, that they have been playing, just makes me proud because it’s getting closer to the ideal basketball, in my opinion.
“Everybody has something to eat, you know. Everybody can step up at any time. Everybody can take up responsibilities. Everybody trusts their next teammate. It’s just beautiful to see.”
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.