Jalen Brunson led the Knicks past the Spurs in an incredible Game 1 comeback in the NBA Finals. The Knicks stole the crowd’s joy, overcoming a 14-point deficit to claim Game 1 on the road. More importantly, they managed to subdue the biggest threat to their championship hopes. Victor Wembanyama was a shell of himself, shooting under 30% from the field and failing to impose himself against the Knicks’ defensive tactics. The alien’s unusual play has attracted the attention of a former coach, as he raised new worries.

While Bill Simmons attributed fatigue, former Bucks head coach Doc Rivers identified a mechanical breakdown. This wasn’t the player he termed the hardest to deal with this season. Rivers saw a version of Wembanyama who was trying to force things. Those complicated moves and dribble attempts cost the Spurs dearly.

“I texted you the first half, ‘Wemby looks sped up tonight’. He looks like he is speeding them up tonight. I think he had six or seven turnovers, Bill,” Doc Rivers told Bill Simmons on Simmons’ podcast. Doc Rivers related those errors to two things: too much time spent on the ball, and Victor Wembanyama dribbling the ball more than he usually does. 

In the first half, he showed too much of the ball to OG Anunoby, who stripped it clean. Later in the fourth quarter, Wembanyama dribbled the ball off his foot. Josh Hart picked it up, and the Knicks pushed the pace. Victor Wembanyama wanted to set the tone early. But after making his first shot, the French center looked mechanical. Too many post moves for no reason complicated and made him second-guess himself.

But the Knicks’ defensive scheme, anchored by Karl-Anthony Towns, exposed Wemby’s mechanical tendencies. The Knicks center played physical and stayed in Wemby’s space. He held the Spurs star to 2-for-11 shooting, completely dominating the matchup in Game 1. Wemby, during a quiet press conference, vowed to ‘figure things out’ before Game 2. And he must do so.

Without Victor Wembanyama’s offensive dominance, the Knicks have an overload of offensive weapons to pull games like they did tonight. And if the Spurs lose Game 2, it’s practically handing the title to New York. Wemby won’t allow that to happen.

Mitch Johnson admits coaching error in Victor Wembanyama’s performance

San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson refused to blame fatigue as a reason for the team’s deflated performance in Game 1. They didn’t rest as much as the Knicks (swept the Cavaliers in the ECF). But they still had a few days to eliminate any physical strains caused by the OKC series. But Johnson did feel the Spurs coaching staff could have helped Victor Wembanyama emerge from his struggles in Game 1.

He already knows the adjustment they are supposed to make. “We gotta get him moving and spacing towards the rim, whether that’s on rolls or running in transition. We need to do a better job of establishing that earlier on, for sure,” said the Spurs head coach.

Wembanyama played 64 games in the regular season, which is a significant improvement from his 46 games from the previous season. A straining playoff run is only adding more minutes and fatigue to the alien.

Wembanyama’s turnovers clustered at the three-point line, where he attempted Brunson-style dribble moves. But as a taller ball handler, it’s difficult to maintain a tight handle. The Knicks exposed that flaw. And since these moves took time, the Spurs’ ball movement was also hampered. They generated just 16 assists. Unsurprisingly, half of those came from their primary playmakers: Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox.

The San Antonio Spurs’ offense goes into overdrive when that backcourt tandem can penetrate the paint. Castle can slash through and find Wembanyama for easy lobs. Fox’s ankle sprain compromises his ability to be explosive. He still has the experience to find Wemby in the right spots rather than just dumping the ball to him at the top of the key and praying for the best.

The Spurs will make this change in Game 2 and look to find Wembanyama around the rim to create pressure on the Knicks. Wembanyama is a much greater threat when he’s off the ball and isn’t faced with making decisions. When the paint is clogged, or there’s nowhere to go, the Spurs throw the ball up with conviction that Victor Wembanyama will catch it. They didn’t try any of that tonight.