It’s done: the Raptors have in turn discovered Victor Wembanyamaand it took them more than half time to find the solution to adapt to his presence, whether in attack or defense.
It’s not every day that you challenge a 2m23 player capable of dribbling like a playmaker, and shooting like a shooting guard, but also of blocking 3-point shots. Like OG Anunoby, covered in the corner, the Raptors have discovered a talent of their own.
“He’s so unique!” » sums up the English winger, after the victory in San Antonio. “I’ve never seen anyone so big in my life. It’s just really big, and it covers a lot of ground. Yes, it changes the game! »
“Every time you are near the circle, you have to pay attention to him and watch where he is”
MVP of the match, Scottie Barnes confirms that it takes time to adapt to understand the size and scope of Victor Wembanyama, which modify the geometry of the game.
“ Every time you are under the circle, you have to pay attention to him, and watch where he is because he will still try to block your shot” testifies Scottie Barnes. “You have to be careful about where it is. That’s why we had good 3-point balls. It’s because he was ready to counter us near the circle. »
On the other side of the field, the Raptors chose to rely on the mobility and aggressiveness of OG Anunoby to hinder the Frenchman, rather than on the size and weight of Jakob Poeltl.
“I’m not going to say anything new, but he’s a generational talent” believes Darko Rajakovicthe Raptors coach. “But we modeled OG’s minutes on those of Wembanyama, and the latter finished with a -16 at +/-. OG performed the best that can be done against this type of talent and size. »
