SAN ANTONIO — A giant looms in the paint.
Victor Wembanyama’s block numbers — he averaged 3.1 per game in the regular season and is averaging 3.5 per game in the postseason, both most in the NBA — don’t even properly reflect just how much of an impact he has inside. Because those don’t measure how many shots weren’t even taken due to his presence around the basket.
No player affects more shots than Wembanyama, the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.
The Knicks are averaging 53.3 points in the paint this postseason — most among all playoff teams. It has been a central part of their offense. Finding shots in the paint away from Wembanyama will be critical in the Finals.
“Obviously, you have to figure out how to get him out of the paint, how to run him, those little things,” Miles McBride said Sunday. “I feel like OKC did a decent job of that. But he’s a special player.
“Honestly, what I think they do a great job … their guards put a lot of pressure on the ball handler, which is forcing him into Wemby. If you’re playing off the ball, not setting screens and allowing him to roam freely without being touched, it’s different if somebody is screening you and then you’re getting over things. So I feel like just being physical and bringing a presence to him and to their team.”
Wembanyama likely won’t actually spend most of his time matched up with Karl-Anthony Towns. It’s much more likely he’ll primarily guard Josh Hart, who is largely considered the worst 3-point shooter in the Knicks starting lineup. It would allow Wembanyama to camp in the paint and act as a roaming help defender, a strategy the Knicks have faced plenty this year. That’s why it’s so paramount Hart keeps Wembanyama honest with his 3-point shooting.
And it also means that Towns will have a much smaller defender on him. Outside of Wembanyama, the next-tallest Spurs starter is Julian Champagnie at 6-foot-7.
“I imagine Wemby won’t guard him as much,” coach Mike Brown said Monday. “They put a small on KAT quite a bit. Either way, whether Wemby is on him or a small is on him, we always wanna try to move KAT around. Hopefully we’ll be able to do that against San Antonio.”
Towns operating as a facilitator from the elbows emerged as a dangerous offensive system this postseason for the Knicks. That becomes much easier with a smaller defender on him.
His ability to hurt the Spurs from the perimeter could force them to switch Wembanyama onto him, which in turn would help the Knicks drag Wembanyama farther out of the paint.
“Obviously, Karl’s shooting is something that anybody has to honor,” Landry Shamet said Monday. “That changes the game plan entirely; you have to prepare for that. Pick-and-roll with Jalen [Brunson] and KAT with the versatile shooting big who can also roll and make plays in the pocket, as well as he’s been passing the ball and facilitating, I can go on and on about what KAT brings to us. That’s a factor in itself.
“However they decide to match up with it, [there’s] gonna be pros to that, there’s also gonna be cons to that. Areas that we’re gonna try to exploit.”
For his own part, Towns doesn’t look at himself as the key to limiting Wembanyama’s defense. He pointed to the other end of the court.
Creating turnovers would certainly help the Knicks play fast and get out in transition. Wembanyama can’t be in the paint if the Knicks beat him down the floor.
“For me, it’s not even a personal thing,” Towns said. “For me, it’s about our team doing what we’ve been doing, which is playing high-level defense and utilizing those turnovers and the defense to get our offense going. As long as our team plays with that kind of energy and discipline and game plan and execution, we have a chance to win.”
There are different ways to accomplish it, but getting the giant out of the paint is the Knicks’ top priority.
