The NBA is in a great place, yet there aren’t as many high-quality big men like there were in the ‘90s and ‘80s. So it’s special when two of the top heavyweights match up, even if an injury scare limits their time against each other, and if their teams are far away in status.
The San Antonio Spurs led by as much as 39 points because the visiting Milwaukee Bucks started defending like they wanted their coach fired. It must’ve been a cathartic experience for the Spurs to get the offense back on track
after a humbling experience in Oklahoma City, but one was expecting more pride and attention to detail defensively from their even more desperate opponent, who had just been humiliated equally has badly against the Timberwolves two nights earlier.
It started turning into a party in the second quarter when Victor Wembanyama, who returned from the locker room like Wolverine after banging knees with Giannis Antetokounmpo, began taking over. The Max Payne look suits Wembanyama, especially if he’s going to come out blasting like that from deep — he made 5-6 on the night. They eventually tied their second-highest scoring third quarter of the season (40), and it was essentially curtains after that.
They’ll have two outings left at Frost Bank Center before taking off on a brief, two-game road trip.
Takeaways
- At the season’s halfway mark, the Spurs are tied with the Denver Nuggets for the third-best record in the NBA (28-13) and second seed in the West , and that’s with Wembanyama having missed 13 games and Nikola Jokić being absent for nine. Don’t forget how ESPN projected the Spurs to win 41.8 games in the preseason, and there are 41 games left. They have completely surpassed expectations at this point, and there’s no sign of them taking a step back because of their depth and quality coaching.
- This was the fourth time both star bigs have played each other. Antetokounmpo holds the edge so far in points, rebounds and assists, but Wembanyama significantly leads in blocks per game, and he has become the superior defender. Furthermore, playing against Antetokounmpo is one of the best tests for him to gauge his strength, yet there wasn’t too much action in the trenches between them this time, not even when chasing rebounds, because Wemby mostly attacked from the middle and outside.
- Anytime the fourth quarter turns into garbage time, it becomes an opportunity for the background players who barely see time to show some of their stuff. Out of all of those guys, the one with the most potential down the line is rookie Carter Bryant. It doesn’t matter that he missed all six shots (including yet another dunk); he’s a high-level athlete who needs to prove he is dependable on defense first, and he doesn’t disappoint with his hustle when given time. Grown-man strength is a necessity for the playoffs, and Carter is further along than his peers. (Side note: apparently he made agreement that if he misses three more dunks, he’ll have to join the shaved head club.)
- Wembanyama’s size makes him the flashiest blocker in the league, aside from averaging more than anyone else. He occasionally gives up rebounding position to chase the deflection, but he makes it look so effortless sometimes, like when he rudely uses both hands to pin the ball on the backboard. It seems cartoonish, like when you find Wilt Chamberlain tapes, seeing him rejecting opponents like he’s playing beach volleyball.
- Bucks coach Doc Rivers said postgame that his team was playing the right way, but that’s a bunch of baloney. He’s doubtfully talking like that to defend the team because he has historically missed few opportunities to throw a player under the bus. There’s no such thing as playing the right way when a team allows 34.6 open to wide-open 3-pointers per game and quits. Maybe this is what the late Kobe Bryant meant when he said a lot of teams are playing accidental basketball because giving professionals that much space is like allowing a soccer player penalty kicks without a keeper present.
- The Jackals must get quite the workout in, aside from straining their vocal cords. God bless them.
