Sleepless nights, then a plan
Victor Wembanyama did not dodge the question at Spurs media day on Monday. The Finals loss to the New York Knicks stayed with him all summer. “I’ve had a few sleepless nights,” he said, calling the feeling “haunting sometimes.”
He has decided to use it instead of running from it. “There’s just a point where you accept that you have to go through it, and you have to feel all of it,” Wembanyama said. “We’re in a great spot. We’re very hopeful, very ambitious and ready.”
The 22-year-old has reason to feel that way. San Antonio won the West by beating Oklahoma City in seven games, then reached the Finals in his third season before New York closed it out in five. The Spurs blew double-digit leads in all four of their losses. Game 4 was the worst: San Antonio led by 29 and lost 107-106 in the largest comeback in Finals history.
Try it for $0.99.
What changed in San Antonio
Expectations moved. The Spurs were not widely tipped to play into June last season, so making the Finals raised the bar. “The definition of success changed,” Wembanyama said. “We won the West last year. We don’t want to do anything less this year, and we want to be the first seed.”
His numbers back up the ambition. He averaged career highs of 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists over 64 games and led the league with 3.08 blocks per game. He became the youngest Defensive Player of the Year in NBA history. Against the Knicks in the Finals he put up 26.0 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.6 blocks. The Spurs gave him a multiyear extension in July.
Paris, rugby and a new veteran
Wembanyama spent the offseason working. He gathered teammates in Paris in August for workouts, an emotional trip because he hosted them in his home country. He also trained with French club Provence Rugby, focusing on footing, lower-body strength, balance and handling contact.
The roster got help too. Forward Tobias Harris signed a two-year, $31 million deal after helping Detroit earn the East’s top seed last season. Harris called San Antonio a “perfect match.” The Spurs open the regular season Oct. 20 at home against the Thunder, the team they beat in the West finals.
Discover the rest of our NBA news on MathODDS!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply