Victor Wembanyama Comments on the Pace of the Game Amid Challenges
Following a strong start to the season, Victor Wembanyama experienced another difficult performance as the San Antonio Spurs narrowly lost 118-116 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night. After the game, Wembanyama shared his thoughts on the increased speed of play.
"The game feels fast right now," Wembanyama said. "Personally, I haven't seen this kind of defense from teams. So we need to adapt as a collective."
He noted that teams are now adjusting their defensive strategies specifically to contain him, making it harder for him to perform as he did earlier in the season.
Defensive Pressure and Double-Teams
Wembanyama highlighted the frequent double-teams from the Lakers as a major challenge. He explained that the Lakers seemed well-prepared and ready to react quickly.
"Mostly, it was the doubling. They probably walked in shootaround through all our situations because it seemed like they were very ready. It felt like they let me catch the ball, but they were ready to double to rotate after that."
Performance Stats and Game Outcome
- Wembanyama scored 19 points on 5-of-14 shooting
- He grabbed eight rebounds
- He committed five turnovers in 33 minutes
- Wembanyama fouled out with under two minutes left, while Spurs trailed 113-112
- San Antonio failed to tie the game in the final second after Julian Champagnie missed two free throws
This game marked the second time in the first seven games of the season that Wembanyama fouled out, already surpassing his total from the previous two seasons combined.
Summary
Wembanyama acknowledges tougher defensive attention is slowing his game, highlighting team adaptations and his need to evolve alongside them.