Ahead of Wednesday’s Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder were called out by a former NBA player. The Thunder’s defense on Victor Wembanyama in Game 1 received mixed reactions from fans and analysts after the San Antonio Spurs superstar dropped an all-time statline.
Speaking on the Club 520 podcast, Jeff Teague and the rest of his crew discussed Game 1 of the Spurs-Thunder series. Teague was critical of the defending NBA champion’s defense on Wemby, with Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams tasked of guarding the 7-foot-4 alien.
“They should go back to guarding traditional,” Teague said. “I don’t think you can give Wemby the same dose of the same defense the whole game. Caruso and Jalen Williams trying to guard, you got to let (Isaiah) Hartenstein, Chet (Holmgren) and some of them get a little of that possession just to switch it up on him. After a while, a good player going to figure out they using the same defense the whole game.”
The one-time NBA champ added, “You got to switch the defense up a little bit. I know they got a great coach, and it was a really good game, but I would like to see Chet guarding, Hartenstein bump him a little bit. They can move too, they ain’t just stiffs. Hartenstein can move. He get out and pick and roll and trap and do all that stuff, so I think they might want to put a bigger body on him.”
The Thunder used small ball midway through the first quarter and never looked back. Wembanyama dropped 41 points and 24 rebounds on them, so they still have to make plenty of adjustments to at least slow him down.
Chet Holmgren Gets Called Out By Kendrick Perkins
Speaking on ESPN’s SportsCenter, Kendrick Perkins had a message for Chet Holmgren, who was outplayed by Victor Wembanyama. Perkins wants the Oklahoma City Thunder big man to change his demeanor and take things personal against Wemby and the San Antonio Spurs.
“In order for them to even stand a chance, Chet Holmgren is going to have to take this personal, especially on the defensive side of the basketball,” Perkins said, via FanSided. “Chet, if you’re watching this, if his family’s watching this, Victor Wembanyama doesn’t like you. You need to have the same feelings for him.”
While Wemby has made things personal against the Thunder and Holmgren since entering the NBA, the 7-foot-1 Gonzaga product doesn’t see it as a rivalry. But due to how things are playing out, he might need to make some changes to help the defending champs moving forward.
Oklahoma City Thunder Need To Win Game 2
For the first time this postseason, the Oklahoma City Thunder are facing adversity. They enter Game 2 with a must-win mindset since the next two games will be played at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
The Spurs have a ton of momentum heading into Wednesday’s contest, knowing that they are now 5-1 against the defending champs this season. They outplayed them in the regular season, winning four of their five matchups.
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