The NBA is coddling Victor Wembanyama. He played badly in Game 5 against the Thunder. He left without talking to the press. That needed to be a fine. The NBA decided instead “to warn” Wembanyama. This will cause a “slippery slope” where sports agents will justify a player’s popularity to the NBA to avoid fines.
Spurs fall in Game 5
Stephon Castle commented on Wembanyama’s effect on the Thunder:
“I think they send so many bodies toward him, it’s hard, at times,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “I think he just wants to make the right play and wants to win, so it’s tough. But he’s our best player, so yeah, we need him to be aggressive. I feel like him being aggressive opens up shots for other guys.”
Stephon Castle has it wrong. The Spurs players need to “step up” and be more aggressive in their play to take pressure off of Wembanyama. Logic dictates that when the other players get more aggressive, the Thunder won’t send so many players to defend him.
Did the Thunder win the NBA title last season?
The NBA is clearly and obviously “leaning into” Wembanyama to sustain their ratings. But, the NBA is making a critical mistake. Now is the time for them to praise the Thunder with the cliche, “team with Championship DNA.” OKC Thunderwire highlighted this comment from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after Game 5:
“We’re a team out there. We don’t get this far, I don’t have this individual success, because the team doesn’t have the success without all 15 guys in the locker room. We proved this. If it were full five me’s out there, we would’ve been down 20 after the first quarter,…”
The Thunder were the NBA’s poster last season. They were “the complete team.” Wembanyama obviously is encountering adversity so his storyline is “in a valley.” The beauty of competitive sports is in the conflicting pursuits of both teams, i.e. to beat their opponent.
Jimmy Butler and Dillon Brooks should comment about Wembanyama’s warning on social media. They were both fined during the 2023 playoffs because they didn’t talk to the media after the game.
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