Victor Wembanjama still the sixth player against the Knicks?

Back to competition on Saturdayafter a month’s absence because of his calf, Victor Vembanyama left a strong impression against the (almost) unbeatable Thunder, despite coming off the bench for the first time in his career.

That didn’t stop him from putting in 22 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks (in just under 21 minutes) and, even if the Frenchman did well in that semi-final full of lessonsTHE Spurs should keep him in this backup role, for the finals against the Knicks.

« Victor and I will continue to talk about it » noticed So Mitch Johnson. « It’s difficult, he wants to play, to start and finish the match, but as soon as you allocate playing time somewhere, it means that there are fewer of them. Unfortunately, we just have to keep thinking about what’s best for the team. This is an important decision and we always have to make sure it fits with the rest of our game plan, depending on who is playing who and how it affects others. »

What does Victor Vembanyama think about it? ” There will be a mixture of different opinions » he says, not closing himself to the slightest possibility. ” But I’m ready for anything. Even I will have my opinion on that. Then it will also be based on my thoughts and the thoughts of the staff. Well, I just said a bunch of platitudes, but basically, we’re going to talk about it. »

Don’t risk it later

Mitch Johnson and his player will therefore multiply discussions before making a final decision. In any case, the most important thing is to save “Wembi”, not physically spared this year 2025.

« We want to make sure we’ve learned and continue to learn from what happened. That doesn’t mean we have the answers, but it does mean we’ll be back to normal in no time. We are always learning and we want to be very attentive to all of it. » The Texas coach then explains.

Transformed when Victor Wembanyama was on the pitch against the Thunder, the rest of the Spurs players sympathize and are content to stay true to themselves while they wait for him. After showing great things for a month already, without their French leader.

« I know he wanted to get on the field and play more… But we’re mostly focusing on his long-term health » recognizes e.g Devin Vassell. « I believe Mitch (Johnson) 100% (he and his staff) have the perfect plan. I know they talked about it many times and we executed it perfectly (Saturday night). As soon as Vic came in, he made the impact we needed. »

How to read statistics? MJ = matches played; Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive jump; Tot = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; Points = Points.