On some level, I understand why the NBA ultimately gave Victor Wembanyama grace.
His violent elbow on Naz Reid in the San Antonio Spurs’ Game 4 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves — which resulted in a well-earned ejection — was a first for the French phenom as an NBA player. After the fact, that’s what made his reaction to getting ejected so telling. Usually, first-time offenders on violent, mid-game plays are granted a lot of leeway when it comes to potential discipline. Wembanyama has never shown he’s that kind of player before. He honestly probably just got caught up in the heat of the moment in a tense, emotional playoff game. I see the NBA’s logic.
Still, I have to admit. Not even fining, let alone suspending, Wembanyama for Game 5 in San Antonio on Tuesday night is … an odd decision.
To be sure, I don’t think anyone is about to follow Wembanyama’s example, or whatever that would mean here. At least on purpose, anyway. But it is a potential slippery slope about what first-time offenders, especially when they’re the NBA’s brightest young attraction in their first-ever playoff run, are allowed to get away with compared to their peers.
Let’s make plain what happened on Sunday evening. Wembanyama grew frustrated by the physicality of the Timberwolves’ defense as they guarded him. He responded by clearly throwing a dangerous elbow into Reid’s space while trying to create breathing room for himself. There is no room for any other interpretation of his intention, even if the prodigious big man briefly lost his cool, nothing more. Quite frankly, it’s a good thing Reid didn’t appear to be too hurt by the sequence. It could’ve been a lot worse. Thank goodness it wasn’t.
If Wembanyam’s elbow isn’t suspension-worthy or fine-worthy, then I don’t know what is. I’m not going to assert the NBA is refusing to punish Wembanyama because of his status as a young man who is already one of the faces of the league. That takes this situation to a different, more complicated place. And that was the case; the NBA probably would’ve still fined him with a slap on the wrist. This was very obviously a “play on” warning. Wembanyama will not receive the same leeway if something like this ever happens again.
This decision was his one free pass. Full stop.
I’m just disappointed he is going to “get away” with this specific elbow now. That doesn’t feel like justice was served. There should have been some kind of consequences. If you’re a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves or a fan, you should feel like you got screwed by this non-suspension of Wembanyama.
Because you absolutely did.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Victor Wembanyama not getting punished for elbow is embarrassing for NBA
