Devin Booker, Grayson Allen reveal Suns’ game plan to stop Victor Vembanyama

PHOENIX – It was a night to forget Victor Vembanyamalike Phoenix Suns limited him to just nine points in a lopsided 130-118 win on Sunday.

Although it is The Suns themselves were excited about facing Vembanyamahe was in tears before the game. He entered the contest averaging 30.2 points, 14.6 rebounds and 4.8 blocks, leading the league in the latter two categories.

However, a lot of defensive pressure and turnovers led Phoenix to limit the emergence. He could never get into a position to score. And if he did, he made the right play to the right guy, who couldn’t execute.

And it all started with Devin Booker once again leading the defense.

“It just kind of depends on who I’m guarding,” Booker said after the game when asked about stepping up the intensity. “I think it drives me, guarding somebody who’s involved in a lot more action on the other end instead of playing help on defense.”

The shooting guard has been paired with 2024-25 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle in addition to Vembanyama at times. The two kept kneeing, but it was Booker who had the last laugh.

He picked them up, played well rebounding the ball and didn’t let anything happen easily. There was a lot of communication about switches, cross-matches and screen-and-roll actions.

Grayson Allen knows the Suns’ collective effort on Victor Wembanyama

Suns head coach Jordan Ott developed a game plan and matches. It was a spontaneous decision, rolling with a defensive line-up that he hadn’t used in a game before.

Sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures, and this was one of them. The Spurs center looked flustered, even when he made the right score.

The ultra-physicality of Ryan Dunn, Royce O’Neill and Mark Williams helped prevent Wembanja from getting into a clear position.

He had about two offensive fouls where it looked like pure frustration. Some of that can be attributed to the game plan. After all, Ott has been praised by Suns general manager Brian Gregory for being extremely adaptable.

Booker also mentioned how he is always studying the schemes and analyzing what works in the current age. Grayson Allen was one of those that Ott put on the rebounding big man.

He was not an immediate defender, but someone who played weakside help or even came into the trap. Allen broke what was successful against one of the best in the league.

“A lot of it is your activity, but also your discipline,” Allen said after the game. “Activity. Be physical, but don’t foul. We’ve set him up in the post a lot of times, so it’s on the guy guarding him, and we’re also switching with him.”

“So there’s a lot of different guys that are just starting in the post. So to the guy guarding him to push that catch, and we got blitzed to take the right one. Hands up and active hands to try to separate and try to make that pass a little harder on the weak side, we have time for our rotations to get there.”

The Suns may have found a draft pick for Victor Vembanyama

One of the main things Vembanyama achieved in this historic run was to establish his position early. He didn’t have a chance to do that in Sunday’s game.

He had either been caught or encountered an imminent trap. Even though he made the right play, time and time again, there was frustration. Still, guys like Castle had 26 points and showed the true depth the Spurs have when Wembanjama plays off the bench.

It’s one game, but Phoenix maybe found something unique. Having athletic, strong wings and centers that can constantly push the French center away from the basket could be the answer.

If other teams find success in the draft, they will have the Suns to thank.