Victor Wembanyama is breaking the playoff blueprint in real time and Thunder can’t ignore it originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Victor Wembanyama has already made a massive statement in this season’s playoff appearance, leading the San Antonio Spurs all the way to the Western Conference Finals. It is an incredible breakthrough for a young team that many expected to still be a step away from true title contention.
However, the Oklahoma City Thunder enter the series as the clear favorites, as they powered their way back to the Western Conference Finals in dominant fashion. They are cruising through the postseason with a flawless 8-0 record that proves how complete and confident they have looked so far.
Even so, respected NBA analyst Ric Bucher believes Wembanyama and the Spurs shouldn’t be underestimated.
“What I’m seeing with Victor Wembanyama defies what I’ve normally seen in the growth and evolution of players,” Bucher said. “Guys aren’t supposed to do what he’s doing right now in the playoffs the first time. The first time he’s in the playoffs and he is leading them to the conference finals. When was the last time we saw that? We haven’t. We really haven’t.”
If we look back through the modern NBA era, most all-time greats needed multiple postseason runs before finally breaking through to a conference final stage. Even legends who found early success usually did so in very different circumstances.
Players like Magic Johnson and Tim Duncan did win championships early in their careers, but they entered veteran-led dynasties.
Meanwhile, Wembanyama is leading a young Spurs core alongside players like De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle into the deepest waters of the NBA. In the upcoming game on Monday, the Spurs aren’t intimidated by the Thunder, as Wembanyama’s squad won four out of five meetings against the Thunder leading up to this Western Conference Finals matchup.
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