SAN ANTONIO — A Dominant Presence in the Paint
Victor Wembanyama is undeniably a significant figure in the paint. His average of 3.1 blocks per game during the regular season, increasing to 3.5 in the playoffs, leads the NBA, yet those numbers don’t fully capture his impact. They don’t reflect the shots that simply aren’t attempted due to his intimidating presence near the basket.
No other player disrupts shots quite like Wembanyama, who recently became the first to win the Defensive Player of the Year unanimously.
The Knicks have been averaging 53.3 points in the paint this postseason—the highest among playoff teams—making it a crucial part of their offense. In the upcoming finals, it will be vital to find scoring opportunities in the paint without running into Wembanyama directly.
“We need to develop a strategy to get him moving away from the basket and create openings,” Miles McBride commented. “OKC did a decent job with that, but he’s really something special.”
McBride also explained how the Knicks have been applying pressure on the ball handler to funnel them toward Wembanyama, emphasizing that playing off the ball is a different challenge entirely. “When you have someone setting screens and pressuring, it changes how Wembanyama impacts the game,” he noted. “I just want to bring some physicality and presence to our defensive game.”
It’s likely that Wembanyama won’t be spending a lot of time guarding Karl-Anthony Towns. Instead, he may primarily defend Josh Hart, who has struggled with his three-point shooting. This setup allows Wembanyama to patrol the paint more freely, acting as a help defender, a strategy the Knicks have encountered before. It’s crucial for Hart to keep Wembanyama’s shooting ability in check.
This matchup does leave Towns with a considerably smaller defender, as the next tallest Spurs starter is only 6-foot-7.
Coach Mike Brown stated on Monday, “Wemby won’t be matched up against him much. We need to keep moving KAT regardless of who is defending him; that’s our game plan against San Antonio.”
Towns has developed into a critical component of the Knicks’ offensive scheme from the elbow, using his size and skill to create mismatches. Having a smaller defender makes things easier for him.
“Wemby being out in the perimeter might make it necessary to adjust our defense,” said Landry Shamet on Monday. “KAT’s shooting ability shifts our strategy entirely. There’s so much he brings, whether it’s through pick-and-roll situations or facilitating plays—it’s all part of our dynamic.”
Towns, however, views his role from a broader perspective, emphasizing teamwork in minimizing Wembanyama’s effect.
“It’s not just about me,” he said. “What’s crucial is our collective effort. High-level defense, forcing turnovers, that’s where we thrive. If we can energize our defense and execute the game plan, that will give us a shot at victory.”
The Knicks’ paramount objective remains to push Wembanyama away from the paint and create open opportunities. There are many ways to tackle this challenge, but that strategy clearly stands out as their top priority.
