As unique a player that Victor Wembanyama is and still portends to be in the future, the narratives around the seven-foot-four French “alien” over the first three games of the 2026 NBA Finals have been awfully familiar.
Though only 22 years of age and playing in his first Finals, the pressure has ratcheted up on Wembanyama because of his immense potential.
There was plenty to nitpick with Wembanyama after the first two games as his San Antonio Spurs fell behind 2-0 against the visiting New York Knicks. Though his numbers ended up looking good — 26 points, 12 rebounds in Game 1 and 29 points and nine rebounds in Game 2 — he was criticized for his shot selection and what appeared to be a lack of maturity when he committed a bone-headed turnover at the end of Game 2, while coming up short on the potential game-winner of that contest.
That all changed in Game 3, however, as he stepped up in New York, ruining the Knicks’ first Finals home game since 1999 with a 32-point, eight-rebound, six-assist masterpiece that also saw him go 11-for-18 from the field and take just four three-pointers.
It put San Antonio on the board in the Finals at long last with a chance to even things up in Game 4 Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
He heard the heat that was out there and responded.
However, Wembanyama and the Spurs aren’t out of the hole, and a stretch in the last five minutes of Game 3 that saw him go 0-for-2 and put up only two points will only add fuel to the fire that he may not be ready for the moment.
With 4:50 left to play in the fourth quarter of Game 3, Wembanyama hit a pair of free throws to put San Antonio up 108-100. He then made a great block on Landry Shamet with 4:05 to go, but was radio silent afterwards as he slowly saw New York begin to whittle away at that lead.
If not for Stephon Castle drilling that right-wing three off a grenade pass that Wembanyama sent his way with 1:53 left, the Knicks would’ve been right there within four points with both Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby cooking.
The court had tilted in the Knicks’ favour until Castle managed to settle things down after Wembanyama was initially stopped on his drive with the shot clock running down.
It’s small things like that, in addition to the missed jumper to win Game 2, that Wembanyama is being judged on.
It’s an unfair standard, particularly because Wembanyama has actually been very clutch for the Spurs over the course of their post-season run.
As defined by the NBA, “clutch time” in a game is any period during the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or an overtime where the point differential between both teams is five points or less.
Wembanyama has been magnificent, leading the playoffs with 31 clutch-time points on deadly 11-for-20 shooting.
Brunson is second in this category with 26 points as his reputation as a crunch-time player is well-founded, but Wembanyama hasn’t got his due in this regard yet.
Yes, most of his damage came from that double-overtime thriller in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder in what became the signature game of his young career. In clutch-time situations in the two overtimes alone in that game, Wembanyama scored 14 points on five-for-six shooting from the floor.
He was everything you wanted to see in a clutch shot-maker, aggressively attacking the basket and then delivering a 28-foot bomb right as his team needed it most.
Given the youth and inexperience of the Spurs, it makes sense that the team has had its wires crossed at times regarding who to give the ball to when they need a bucket.
During the regular season, that guy was De’Aaron Fox, who led San Antonio in clutch-time minutes (102), field-goal attempts (64) and points (80). Right there with Fox, however, was Wembanyama, who put up 77 points on 23-for-52 shooting (44.2 per cent) from the floor, including seven-of-18 from three-point range, in just 79 minutes.
As the post-season arrived, Fox’s role has diminished in clutch situations. He’s played just 19 clutch-time minutes all playoffs long, scoring five points on two-for eight shooting.
The emergence of rookie Dylan Harper, who appears to be improving with each passing quarter he plays, has contributed to this – he’s second on the Spurs in clutch-time scoring with 19 points on seven-for-11 shooting – but considering what Wembanyama has shown in tight situations during these playoffs, it should be clear who’s going to take the shot when all the chips are down.
A big reason for New York’s success is the team’s role definition. When the fourth quarter rolls around and the game is tight, the ball is going to be in Brunson’s hands and he’s likely going to put it up, for better or worse. That brings clarity to what can be chaotic and stressful situations down the stretch for the Knicks and allows them to execute.
The Spurs have struggled with this at times, but they have the weapon to avoid these problems – all seven-foot-four of him.
Wednesday marks another must-win game for the Spurs, and the best way to make sure they head back to San Antonio with the series all knotted up at 2-2 is to unleash and trust Wembanyama in the clutch.
Despite the loud instances of him coming up short that we’ve seen in these Finals, he’s proven during the post-season as a whole that he’s ready for it.
