In Houston, the takeoff for “Alien” Vembanyama has been canceled

Victor Vembanyama he probably wanted to release some of his frustration with this slam dunk slide. The match was already over in favor of the Rockets when the Frenchman broke the circle with both hands in the final seconds.

This shot, without affecting the outcome of the match and not much more for his final statistics, was… the only one he scored in the second half. The Rockets rarely limited Wemby, who finished with just 14 points on 5/21 shooting, including 0/7 from distance, and 10 rebounds.

« They were doing what they usually do. And what most teams do, actually. Obviously, I’d like to take more shots tonight. But I have to find ways to help my team when I’m not making my shots anymore », let the frenchman go after thinking about Rocket’s treatment for a few seconds.

The latter, from the third quarter, pushed him to evolve away from the circle, at least in the high post near the free throw line, or behind the arc where most of his shots ended up too short. In the fourth quarter, when he tried to take the baseline, he found himself trapped against Dorian Finney-Smith and Amen Thompson, resulting in a loose ball.

Houston, his pet angry?

« Houston has been playing this type of defense since we had Victor, so I don’t think it’s new. They are difficult to play against. For our entire team, without exception, we were pushed around, pushed out of our favorite zones », notes Mitch Johnson highlighting ” level of aggression » and the physical intensity of the opposing team.

We know that from the beginning of his career, Houston is not a team against which his giant is used to shine. Aside from a 29-point outing early last season, he often struggled to express himself, and sometimes in the past Alperen Sengun dominated. Rockets or not, he says he wants to find solutions when there is no address.

« I have to use all the different weapons in my arsenal, but that’s obviously not the only thing I can do. When a part of my game isn’t working, I’m supposed to be… Well, there are other ways I can help. For example, a simple thing is to be a screener or a lob threat to help my team, or many other things », continues the Frenchman, who made 7 of his 21 shots in the racket.

Loss of lucidity

Certainly not enough, on an evening of external awkwardness, for a player who averaged 31 points in three games, based on a huge volume on 3-pointers: 59% success on 9 attempts on average.

We must also not forget that this awkwardness was collective (39% overall) and that after a 70-point first period, the Spurs were limited to 36 points in the second, including just 14 in the final quarter. A furious defeat of their leader that reminds us that Spurs squandered a 16-point lead.

« There are a lot of details. But the main idea is that we lose our lucidity on the field, sometimes overreacting to what is happening. The good thing is that nothing makes you learn and mature like failure, losses or defeats. That’s how we learn faster. We take a lot and remain a winning team. We will find a solution », he finishes calmly.

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.