The divine unicorn is the stalwart nemesis and antihero the dictator expects. Victor WenbanyamaTotal Player, who has come from the future to reach the pinnacle of basketball’s dizzying evolution, has shortened what seemed like a long and tedious race to find the antidote to overthrowing the MVP’s overwhelming Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Into a great sprint: Wenby destroyed the San Antonio Spurs with his offense christmas day He gave up the winning walk to the champions (102-117) at home, handing them their third loss in less than two weeks. The Frenchman finished with a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds on 6/12 shooting and 2/3 triples, finishing with a decent 22 points for SGA, but still wasn’t having much success on 7/19 shooting and 1/6 from the perimeter.

Everywhere, in every color. Spurs knocked down OKC vegas in the semi-finals of cup Twelve days ago in a close game (111-109), just two days ago in San Antonio they lost the balance in the final quarter (130-110), and tonight in a hostile atmosphere in Oklahoma City, just two weeks ago they tamed the beast that had terrorized the NBA since halftime (60-69) and had no fear of winning. Once you get used to it, it is difficult to defeat a rival of this size in a short time.

Wembang Yama is a visible head of San Antonio and one of the faces of the NBA now and in the future, but tactically he was a top scorer and knew what to do as a member of the Spurs. De’Aaron Fox This signals another major part of the plan to dismantle the impenetrable defenses two weeks ago.

Wenby and all the repertoire he has in his 2.24 are as important as the army of hyperactive handlers surrounding him, starting with Fox and ending with Rookie of the Year. stephen castle (19 points), Rookie dylan harper (12) And this time it’s not very good with 5 points, but the points Devin Vassell.

They penetrate, shoot and finish strong on contact. It is also essential when facing walls that the sander builds in the paint. and make quick and effective decisions at runtime. This is essential to maintain the enjoyment of the game and make the most of the few benefits it offers. best defense Modern history of the NBA.

And because they’re all so good, the Spurs can still afford to bring luxury ace Wenbang Yama off the bench. He says it gives him a better perspective in terms of how he can influence the game, reflecting the most interesting things that have come out from inside the game. 21 years After the meeting. On his return day from Wenby’s injury in the cup game, he appeared to be off the bench due to circumstances, but it turned out to be the cause of an unexpected crisis for the Thunder, who have now lost four of their last six games, including against the Timberwolves. anthony edwards From an authoritarian 24-1 record to 26-5, the Spurs finished second in the West with a 23-7 record. It’s no longer so clear whether Shai and company will surpass the Warriors’ 73-9 record in 2016.

The formula for stripping Oklahoma’s defense is made up of several equations, but basically it can be broken down into two principles: a versatile giant and a group of virtuosos, much like the Spurs are Oklahoma’s Nuggets. Nikola Jokic And the Pacers marching Tyrese HaliburtonThe two teams that gave the Thunder the most trouble in the last playoffs.

Every time Wenby makes a header, the Spurs get right into the heart of the OKC defense. The Thunder stuck to their guns to protect the Frenchman with a small shot, but anyone targeting the French big man will need help if they don’t want Wenbanyama to take an easy shot, and if they don’t want the Spurs to make sure they take an open three-point shot. The little defenders of Cain’s prestige also suffer. alex caruso San Antonio tried to break through the blocks and keep the former Laker away from Wenby, which greatly upset Jokic in the playoffs.

MVP team in trouble

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Wenby once again kept OKC in check with his increasingly perfect mid-range shots. This new trend seems to be spreading across the NBA. anthony edwards He knows improving his mid-range shooting is one of his priorities to beat Oklahoma. A paradoxical phenomenon in the current context of the game, falling into disuse due to triple fever and cynicism towards the Thunder, but precisely because it is SGA’s dominant authorial seal. And other Spurs players are dominating like Castle.

Meanwhile, Wenbanyama is also getting playful with his mid-range shots, threatening to cut along the baseline at the last minute and shoot to save someone, in a very Yoki style.

The Spurs also highlight MVP Shai and Hartenstein as weaknesses on defense. Mark Daigneault. The Canadians get involved on defense and struggle to contain the penetration, while the Germans struggle to counter pick-and-pop situations and sink into the defense. drop Create space for mid-range shots. And Mitch Johnson’s team also found a crack in the corner, and he exposed it TJ McConnell In the final match, he won with his quick breakthrough ability.

The stability of the opponent’s attack deprives the Thunder of mostly exciting robberies and devastating partial attacks that can end the game in the blink of an eye. On this occasion, the training team will mark daigneault Although he stole only seven balls and relied on half-court attacks, Shy found few replacements, with Hartenstein’s 13 points, Jaylen Williams’ 12 points, Alex Caruso’s 2/12 triples and Chet Holmgren’s 10 points not being enough.

The Thunder hit the ball too hard from long range – 11/44, 25% on triples – and Wenbanyama’s shadow partially scared Gilgeous-Alexander. The Unicorn timidly came to the rescue from inside the paint, but it was enough for him to raise his endless arms into the air and thwart MVP’s mid-range shot.

With all of this in mind, a new rivalry appears to have been born in the NBA, fueled by the unicorn’s pulse both on and off the court. Wenby and holmgren. The San Antonio Spurs have doubts about the Thunder’s attempt at a dynasty that seemed uncontroversial until a few days ago. And now it’s not only uncontroversial, it’s woke many questions.