Victor Wembanyama: Analyzing Game Impact and Future Promise
Kevin Walsh and Coach James Young break down Victor Wembayama's key game miscues and pivotal mistakes that have shaped the landscape of this Finals series.
Video Transcript
But I think it's important that we start with the, quote-unquote, "best player in the world," Victor Wembanyama.
We'll get to Fox, we'll get to Mitch Johnson, the f- whoever you want, okay?
But Victor Wembanyama is the earth, moon, and stars, right?
So you tell me, Coach, where Wemby's performance over those 48 minutes of game landed for you.
You know, th- there's two ways to look at the Wemby thing.
N- number one, the, the flagrant foul, listen, you can say what you want about game three if you thought it was a flagrant foul.
I thought it was a one, definitely was not a two.
But when they did not give them the flagrant foul one, they were going to watch Wemby like a hawk game four.
And anything close, they were gonna call it.
So when f- the, the foul happened with KAT, you-- This was different than him getting mixed up with Alvarado in game two.
This is different than hitting Brunson in game three.
He genuinely did not mean what to do what he did, 'cause he immediately went down, he tried to touch KAT like, "Yo, my bad, my bad."
But Wemby being 7'4", Kevin, he plays with the ball high.
Not just You know, it's the old Mike Rice, take space or take your face.
But sometimes he leads with the elbow and not with the ball, right?
So that time he gets hit with it.
That was the first thing that turned around and that made Wemby change his game.
Mm-hmm.
Because his aggressiveness now was like, "Hey, if I get another one," right, "I'm out next game."
Not only that, "I- if I get another one, I could be gone th- this game as well."
So he changed his whole dynamic, not getting to the basket, rolling to the win- rim.
Number two, Mitch Johnson, who's going to get a ton of smoke in this, in this show, and deservingly so, he showed how much he was panicking.
Wemby typically takes a rest in the third quarter.
About five minutes, six minutes in, they take him out, right, Kev?
Put Luke Kornet in.
They give him about a four-minute breather.
He gets the last minute of the third.
He gets that two and a half minute rest during the, obviously change of quarter, and then he plays the majority of the fourth, maybe with a rest in the fourth as well.
Kevin, he sat for 53 seconds.
Mm-hmm.
53 seconds.
Mm-hmm.
With the Knicks still up by, like, 18, 19 points.
So Mitch Johnson even said to you, "Uh-oh, this is gonna be in trouble."
But a guy that has never played a full season, and now he's playing a full season and the playoffs, you're now expecting a guy that you should be playing 36, 37 minutes, and now you're expecting him to play 43 minutes.
Yeah.
How is this kid supposed to make it to the finish line, Kev?
It's not possible.
The kid's been sucking wind every g- every game in this series in the fourth quarter.
Yep.
So you give him less rest?
So yeah, Wemby's elbow, yes, but Mitch Johnson's gotta take a big blame for this for how he subbed him in the third quarter.
I, I really do think, you know, and Coach and I spoke a little bit the other day, if you said, "Hey, we're not passing blame.
Who gets the most?"
I think Mitch Johnson is my answer.
However, Victor Wembanyama is actually in a class that we've attempted to put other guys in that weren't really, weren't really it.
And I'm gonna go L- let's, let's not just go with the recent examples, okay?
Victor Wembanyama is not just in a conversation, okay, to me that Shai or Jokic or Giannis didn't get into.
Victor Wembanyama is on a trajectory that Steph Curry and Kevin Durant also never got in.
It is very, very clear that Victor Wembanyama, after all this wondering, is the heir apparent to LeBron James.
And you know if I'm saying that, that means something.
But it's true.
It really is.
When shows following a New York Knicks finals victory lead with, "What'd you make of Wemby's game?"
You know you're the guy at 22.
And I am very okay with the struggles and low points of Victor Wembanyama leading the conversation, because that's what matters most.
Because that's what happens when at this point in Wemby's career, not being one of the 10 greatest players of all time would feel like a disaster.
