When Nikola Jokic turned over his left shoulder and knocked down his awkward-looking fadeaway over the outstretched hand of Victor Wembanyama in overtime, it was checkmate in Denver today. Sure, the Alien came down and immediately scored on the other end, but if the Spurs were going to win that game, they needed that shot to force another tie. Unfortunately, it didn’t play out that way.
The Joker’s go-to move is called the Sombor Shuffle, and he’s been knocking it down for years. It’s one of the most difficult shots to defend in the NBA. When he pulls it out, it’s usually in the biggest moments, but because he’s so versatile, it’s hard to know it’s coming. For him, it’s easy to knock down because he’s done it a million times.
You can’t help but wonder if Wemby could have prevented the game from getting to that point if he put the win away in regulation. A go-to move could have helped him with that.
Wembanyama should consider making the game easier on himself
This isn’t about blame. San Antonio wins as a team, and they lose the same way. De’Aaron Fox missed opportunities, as did Stephon Castle, Harrison Barnes, and the list goes on. Nobody was perfect in the Mile High City, and that includes the head coach.
Mitch Johnson played Wemby for a little over 17 straight minutes, putting him in with less than a minute to go in the third quarter and leaving him in for the rest of the game. That probably satiated the crowd harping on whether the French phenom could play big minutes when they needed him to, but it probably wasn’t the best idea for getting the win in a physical game at an elevated altitude.
The depth has been a strength all season, and their non-Wemby lineups gave them some good minutes. But I digress.
The win was there to be had, and with the ball in his hands, Vic opted for a straight-line drive on Aaron Gordon. The Nuggets’ premier defender may have gotten away with a light shove, but Wembanyama’s aversion to developing a reliable go-to move made the job more difficult than it should have been.
Wemby was given his nickname for a reason. His ability to do everything on the court is truly special, and it does make him the ultimate weapon. He’s not the only special athlete on the floor, though. Opponents will always try to challenge him physically, and sometimes, it’s better to just outsmart or outmanuever them.
Nikola Jokic may not be as physically gifted as the Spurs’ superstar, but like Vic, he’s extraordinarily versatile. However, that only makes his go-to move more unstoppable, and hopefully, that’s a message that Wembanyama received loud and clear.
