How Can Brooklyn Nets Slow Down Victor Wembanyama?

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Ivan White | Last updated Oct 26, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Brooklyn Nets will be back on the road on Sunday for a matchup against one of the league’s most intimidating players.

The Nets are in San Antonio for an afternoon showdown with the Spurs in their first matchup against a Western Conference team this season. After losses to the Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers, the Nets will now have to try and battle against Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs.

Sitting at 2-0 with a couple of intriguing road wins, the Spurs will be hosting the Nets for their home opener. Of course, that gives Spurs fans their first chance to see their superstar up close, which could cause some issues for the Nets.

Through two games, Wembanyama is averaging 34.5 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks. Already putting up MVP-level numbers in his third year in the league, the Spurs superstar is sure to give Brooklyn everything it can handle and then some.

His first two matchups came against a Dallas Mavericks team that has built its roster around its size, and a New Orleans Pelicans team that is quite thin on the interior. The Nets, of course, will fall into that second category.

So, how might the Nets try and slow down the league’s most promising young player?

It seems likely that Nic Claxton will get the first shot at the Wembanyama matchup and will probably be in that spot for most of the game. As the veteran big man and starting center for Brooklyn, Claxton has built a career on his defensive abilities and will need to have a productive day on that side to keep Wembanyama at bay.

Still, with Wembanyama’s skillset and size, it will take more than one player to keep him from succeeding inside. That’s where Jordi Fernandez will likely be ready to throw in Day’Ron Sharpe and Noah Clowney.

While neither of them will likely fare well against one of the league’s top bigs, having as many bodies as possible to throw at Wembanyama. While simply throwing bodies at him could work on that end, there might be no way for Brooklyn to solve the issues Wembanyama presents as a defender.

If the Nets can have a performance similar to their hot shooting night against Cleveland, they might be able to overcome Wembanyama’s presence. However, if the 3-point shots aren’t falling, Brooklyn might have no choice but to try the inside, and Wembanyama will likely be there waiting to wreak havoc all afternoon.

This article first appeared on Brooklyn Nets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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