'Victor Wembanyama in shock' - Spurs star compared to Nick Anderson's 1995 NBA Finals nightmare
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'Victor Wembanyama in shock' - Spurs star compared to Nick Anderson's 1995 NBA Finals nightmare originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
For the second straight game, Victor Wembanyama failed to take the San Antonio Spurs over the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. The MVP runner-up shot inefficiently, finishing with 29 points on 11-21 shooting against the Knicks, who once again rallied back from a double-digit Spurs lead to win the game, 105-104.
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On Inside the NBA, analyst Kenny Smith sounded an alarm on the Spurs star, even comparing Wembanyama to former Orlando Magic guard Nick Anderson. He credited Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns for limiting Wembanyama on both ends of the floor.
"He was a greatm great player Nick Anderson, but when he missed those free throws, he became in shock," Smith said. "We were so worried about Nick Anderson when we walked into that series and throughout that series until he missed it. KAT has him in shock. That's it. A great player is in shock. Nick Anderson was a great player at that time. He became in shock."
Smith recalled the 1995 NBA Finals, when the Magic guard missed four consecutive free throws late in Game 1 against the Houston Rockets. This is the sequence many believe rattled his confidence long-term. While Anderson remained a productive player, his shooting and confidence never remained the same.
Smith seems to be suggesting that Wembanyama is mentally rattled rather than just failing to execute well.
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Is the Nick Anderson comparison valid for Victor Wembanyama?
It has been just two games, but it could be indicative of something worse.
Yes, Wemby has looked uncomfortable at times against KAT. In Game 1, the Spurs star finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds but shot inefficiently and also committed six turnovers as the Spurs blew a 14-point lead. KAT was excellent, forcing the Defensive Player of the Year in difficult defensive rotations and limiting his interior dominance.
In Game 2, KAT finished with 25 points and created matchup problems as New York attacked Wembanyama in space. Not to forget, the costly last-minute turnover that proved to be pivotal in the result of the one-point loss.
However, one must not forget that the 22-year-old is in his first NBA Finals and facing the experienced Knicks team, who were there in the NBA Finals last season, too. While they couldn't finish the job against the Oklahoma City Thunder, with two games up and the series heading to Madison Square Garden, it's a chance for Jalen Brunson & Co. to make history.
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