Victor Wembanyama Comments on Pace and Defensive Adjustments After Spurs' Loss to Lakers
Following a strong start to the season, Victor Wembanyama faced challenges in the San Antonio Spurs' 118-116 defeat against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night. He described the game as feeling unusually fast, largely due to the Lakers’ defensive tactics aimed specifically at him.
"Personally, I haven't seen this kind of defense from teams," Wembanyama said. "So we need to adapt as a collective. In the Phoenix game, it was the case as well. We're learning."
Wembanyama highlighted the heavy presence of double-teams as a key difficulty. He explained the Lakers appeared well-prepared, ready to quickly double him after he caught the ball.
"Mostly, it was the doubling. They probably walked in shootaround through all our situations because it seemed like they were very ready. It felt like they let me catch the ball, but they were ready to double to rotate after that."
Performance and Game Summary
- Wembanyama scored 19 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
- He grabbed eight rebounds and committed five turnovers in 33 minutes.
- He fouled out with just under two minutes remaining while the Spurs trailed 113-112.
- San Antonio had a chance to tie the game in the final second, but Julian Champagnie missed both free throws after drawing a shooting foul.
This marked the second time in seven games this season that Wembanyama has fouled out, already exceeding his total fouls from the previous two seasons combined.
Author's summary: Victor Wembanyama faces tough defenses that are forcing the Spurs to adapt, as doubling and quick rotations are limiting his impact in recent games.