The Phoenix Suns were able to cruise past the San Antonio Spurs 131-106 even though they had to go up against a potential superstar.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama has taken the NBA by storm with his length, 7-foot-4 height and his ability to make a substantial impact on the court game in, game out.
To this point, Wembanyama is averaging 20.7 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists through 63 games for San Antonio.
The Suns got another crack at guarding him after losing their first two matchups of the season against the 2023 first-overall pick and the Spurs in Phoenix. During the early stages of the season, San Antonio won 115-114 on Oct. 31 and 131-121 on Nov. 2.
Giving Credit When Credit is Due
Struggling to construct a dominant rhythm, Wembanyama was limited to just 13 points, five rebounds and four assists Saturday night. Phoenix forced him to commit five turnovers.
Making sure they could control “Wemby” from inflicting major damage, Suns head coach Frank Vogel felt his team adjusted their game plan accordingly.
“He [Wembanyama] is a tough cover, as tough of a cover as there is in this league,” Vogel said. “He is so unique but our guys really competed. Kevin Durant starting on him and not just switching but staying and maintaining the matchup as much as possible. Our fives did a great job of trying to plug everything at the rim. He [Wembanyama] still got going a little bit.”
Understanding the assignment he had, Suns star Kevin Durant spoke about Wembanyama and the difficulties of trying to defend him to the best of his abilities.
“It’s a team effort with him, you can’t guard him 1-on-1, he’s tough,” Durant said. “He is so long and when you still feel like you are playing good defense, he can still get around you because of his length and when you look up, he is at the rim.”
Being integrated into a new, higher-level situation in the NBA as a rookie could be a challenge.
For Wembanyama though, he has seemed to transition seamlessly.
Watching Wembanyama’s evolution from afar, Devin Booker has noticed how mature he is at 20 years old and the strong mentality he already instills.
“Just a force,” Booker said. “My favorite thing about him is his mindset, nowhere near soft. He is a competitor to the highest level. You can tell after games that losing bothers him, not something he has gotten used to. I’ve watched how he carries himself, seems like he is a seasoned vet.”
On Monday, the Suns and Spurs clash for the final time this regular season at 5 p.m. PT in San Antonio.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers Phoenix Sports News for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
