The Blazers Defended Victor Wembanyama on 37 Possessions in Game 1: What Worked, and What Didn’t?

For those who’ve followed Portland’s season-long saga, some of this will speak to the obvious. Across the 83-game slate — including the Play-In Tournament —  Toumani Camara has profiled as a night-to-night All-Defensive Team-caliber player, and the series-opening loss reinforced that status to the tenth degree.

It deserves a highlight reel of its own. There was, and is no foolproof strategy for defending San Antonio’s wunderkind, but his approach was nonetheless superb.

When paired alongside the aesthetically-pleasing t-shirts of their playoff home crowd, the Spurs’ “Fiesta”-themed City Edition jerseys are a sight to behold; though, it might’ve been difficult to see the front of Wembanyama’s, given how tightly Camara remained connected to his torso.

Even if it means sacrificing some of his burgeoning offensive game, allowing Camara more defensive opportunities on Wembanyama seems to border on necessity in Game 2.

If Not Camara, What Else Might Work?

Completely unrelated, but it was of great intrigue, listening to Minnesota’s Julius Randle talk about how the Timberwolves’ elite defense might hope to contain Nikola Jokić in a different series out West. Breaking into a smile, he offered a jokingly, yet probably-kind-of-serious analysis: “... Probably gotta call God and talk to him for a little bit. Ask him for a few favors.”

Given some of the audacious jumpers that San Antonio’s 7-foot-4 great made in Game 1, this could be a strategy for Wembanyama too?

Comedy aside, three other players did stand out as positives on Portland’s side. The least likely of those was Scoot Henderson. 

Undoubtedly aware of Wembanyama’s tendency to play “point center” and initiate transition offense himself, Henderson took it upon himself to meet his fellow 2023 NBA Draft classmate before crossing halfcourt, prompting immediate passes to teammates.

The underlying message: don’t even allow Wembanyama to get into an aggressive mindset.

Pair that alongside some heady plays in passing lanes, and Henderson had a postseason debut that, in many ways, was worth being proud of. Tiago Splitter’s pre-Game 2 comments about the Blazers’ loss stemming from defensive struggles in transition —  not the halfcourt —  immediately comes to mind.

Jrue Holiday, of course, was another standout. Asking a 6-foot-4 defender to contain a 7-foot-4 talent isn’t sustainable possession-to-possession, but in switches, Holiday’s lower stance forced turnovers and deference to teammates. 

The personal hand-tracking and NBA.com's matchup statistics both tallied zero field goals allowed, with the latter documenting Holiday for nine partial possessions.

Size sometimes worked, too, with Robert Williams III (and Donovan Clingan) offering spirited contests, that is, when Wembanyama wasn’t busy channeling his inner “Steph Curry.” 

What Else Matters for Portland Ahead of Game 2?

It’s difficult to speak too glowingly of a defense that allowed a 35-point performance that re-set the NBA’s postseason record books. 

It wasn't as if the Blazers limited Wembanyama for any long duration. But, when it worked, such as during Wemby’s scoreless third quarter, it involved team defense, faceguards on pindowns, and defensive crowds that forced him to settle.

Counters will be aplenty, and Wembanyama is already expecting to see more “doubling up” in ensuing games — to which he’s already declared, “But we’re ready.” Maybe the Blazers opt to give San Antonio a taste of their own medicine, forcing him into more midrange looks, perhaps the only part of his shot chart that wasn’t Christmas tree-like green (just one-of-four).

One area Portland will also need to improve is against Wembanyama’s high-post touches. A noticeable trend with San Antonio is that if a play design works once, such as their high split action, they aren’t the slightest afraid of attacking it a possession later. 

As already noted, establishing a consistent No. 2 for Avdija —  and winning the Wembanyama-less minutes — will be among must haves, should Portland eye any chance of a Game 2 upset as 11½-point underdogs.

And, while there should be subtle improvements, and maybe a less-dominant Wembanyama performance, it’s difficult to see everything coming into fruition on just 48 hours notice.

Game 2 Prediction: Spurs, 121; Blazers, 102