Nobody had a worse night during Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs than superstar big man Victor Wembanyama.
Not only did the Spurs lose the contest, but Wembanyama was soundly outplayed by New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns for much of the game.
Adding to that, Wemby had a costly turnover in the closing seconds, and he went on to miss the potential game-winner as time expired.
It’s clear the moment got too big for Wemby, and that’s something he admitted to in his postgame comments.
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“I’m still very blurry, and that’s the whole problem,” Wembanyama said when asked to break down the final three possessions. “I need to have more poise, more control over the game.”
Shaquille O’Neal calls out Victor Wembanyama
That comment did not sit well with NBA legend and ESPN analyst Shaquille O’Neal, who said Wembanyama should have given a different answer.
“As the leader you should probably say, ‘It’s on me,’ but don’t say things are blurry,” Shaq said. “If I’m anybody on the New York Knicks, I’m coming at his head on Monday… That sounds like he’s flustered… As that guy on that team, you just gotta step up.”
In fairness to Wembanyama, Shaq may not have liked the way the Spurs superstar said it, but he definitely took accountability for his struggles.
Wemby experiencing growing pains
Wemby has scored 55 points over the first two games of this series, but the box score doesn’t tell the whole story.
The two-time All-Star has just looked off against the Knicks, and part of the problem is the Spurs’ offense does a terrible job setting him up for easier shots.
With all the success he has had early in his career, it’s easy to forget that Wemby is only 22 years old and still has a lot of growing to do.
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As a result, nobody should be completely shocked at his struggles in his first NBA Finals.
That said, Wembanyama is still supremely talented and his time will come, it just may not be this year.
What’s next for Wemby and the Spurs?
The San Antonio Spurs will now go into Game 3 of the NBA Finals down 2-0 after dropping each of the first two games at home.
Wembanyama will have to overcome his struggles in front of an electric crowd at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, and rest assured that crowd will try to get in his head.
If the Spurs are going to make NBA history and become the first team to win an NBA Finals after dropping the first two games at home, Wembanyama must step up big time.
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