Finding a way to limit Victor Wembanyama feels like an impossible task in many regards. While the Minnesota Timberwolves' defense against Nikola Jokic gave them some hope, Wemby presents a different challenge, given his blend of size, shooting, mobility, and ball handling.
Notching a playoff record 12 blocks, Wemby's defensive impact was undeniable in Game 1. Nevertheless, the Wolves did an amazing job of containing Wembanyama on offense, holding him to 5-for-17 shooting en route to a 104-102 win.
Rudy Gobert's defensive dominance continued, as he held Wemby to 4-for-10 shooting as the closest defender. Gobert mirrored Wembanyama's every move, cutting off his spots on drives and forcing him into difficult shots. In addition to Gobert's stout defense, Julius Randle's physicality was highly disruptive.
Wemby missed both of his field goal attempts against Randle and was clearly limited by Randle's strength. He wasn't nearly as aggressive when Randle guarded him. This is largely because Randle's strength made it difficult for Wemby to simply catch passes. When he was able to attack, Randle walled him up and gave him no space to operate.
Notably, Gobert guarded Wembanyama for just a minute and nine seconds more than Randle, but as stated, Wemby shot eight fewer field goals against Randle.
I don't want to overreact to one game, but the combination of Gobert and Randle could prove to be a sustainable blueprint against Wemby.
Gobert and Randle could prove to be Wembanyama's kryptonite
Listen, Wemby is a great player, and I'm sure he'll have some good games throughout this series. However, the first-round proved that the Wolves' defense is uniquely poised to limit stars. Furthermore, it's hard to remember that Wemby, despite his greatness, is still just a third-year player and he's far from perfect. Thus, it's possible that the Wolves can limit his impact in a real way.
Wembanyama is still very thin and can struggle with physicality, which both Gobert and Randle can provide. Most of the time, Wemby's otherworldly blend of height and skill makes up for this. Regardless, by playing physical and disciplined defense, this strength could be negated.
Additionally, to stop great players, you also typically need to throw different looks at them, and the Wolves have the personnel to do that against Wemby.
Gobert is a fantastic one-on-one defender with a rare blend of rim protection, IQ, and strength, all of which could make life challenging for Wemby. This, paired with Randle's imposing physical strength, could prove to be the perfect counter to Wembanyama.
I'd also be remiss not to mention the Wolves' help defense. If Wemby beats someone on the ball, the Wolves will quickly rotate to challenge him. Their help defense was wonderful in Game 1 and in the last round against Jokic.
Going up against these two defenders, who play vastly different yet effective styles, could make Wembanyama uncomfortable throughout the series.
Perhaps he figures something out, but that will be far from an easy task, and if the Wolves' success continues against Wemby, they'll be well-positioned to pull off an upset.
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