The San Antonio Spurs dodged a bullet after Victor Wembanyama avoided suspension following his blatant elbow to Naz Reid‘s neck in Game 4 of the Spurs-Timberwolves second-round playoff series.
But while Wembanyama will be available to play in Tuesday’s Game 5, sports journalist Bomani Jones says the bigger issue for the Spurs is who will step up to protect Wemby if a similar situation arises in the future. The way the Wolves played Victor in Game 4 is a blueprint for how teams will treat him moving forward.
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“Victor lost his cool, and you can’t do that,” said Jones. “On the other hand, I do respect the goonery of it. My question for the Spurs is, how is there not one person on your team whose job it is to goon?”
The Spurs don’t have an enforcer to protect Wemby
At 7’5″ and with his skillset, Wembanyama is a defensive nightmare for opposing teams, with some saying that the only person who can stop Wemby is, well, Wemby himself. And that’s what the Timberwolves did when they gang up on him and got very physical.
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In the past, we’ve seen players like Charles Oakley, Dennis Rodman, and Rick Mahorn act as enforcers on their teams, protecting their star players from opponents who might try to intimidate or even harm them. We don’t see a lot of these types of players in today’s game. But as Jones explained, being an enforcer in the current NBA isn’t as hard as it was back then.
“In this NBA, anybody can be a goon,” Jones added. “Anybody can be a good cuz nobody’s gonna fight. But outside of the Detroit Pistons, it don’t seem like anybody got a goon. How is nobody’s job to go and fight Naz Reid or whoever it was for Victor? It should be some dread head brothers in the lobby. They got a bunch of them dread head cats. Ain’t none of them – Castle, Vassell…Honestly, if I’m the Spurs, I’d trade two first-round picks to get Beef Stew. Imagine the ovation that Beef Stew would get every time?”
The Detroit Dawg Pound
“Beef Stew” is, of course, Detroit Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart, who is one of the very few players in the NBA who fit the mold of an enforcer. Draymond Green is clearly one, while Dillon Brooks is another. You can also make a case for Lu Dort. But among the names, it’s Stewart who is the ideal enforcer in today’s game.
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However, the issue with Stewart is that he is one-half of the Pistons’ “Dawg Pound” alongside All-Star center Jalen Duren. They provide Detroit with the physical presence and gritty play that have forged the team’s tough-guy identity. However, Beef Stew is locked up until next season and has a team option for 2027-28. Given their success, there’s no indication that the Pistons want to trade him.
But while the Spurs might not get Stewart, they should start looking for someone with his attitude and playing style in the draft class or around the league and add that player for next season. Meanwhile, someone on the team will have to fill that role for now, because that won’t be the last time opponents will test Wemby’s patience. Maybe Mitch Johnson should consider giving Kelly Olynyk a few minutes of playing time if none of his rotation players are willing to play the part.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.