Why Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama is confident vs Thunder in Western Conference Finals appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
One of the main reasons the Western Conference Finals match-up between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs is viewed as the crown jewel of the NBA playoffs is the dominance that Victor Wembanyama and his team exhibited over the defending champions over the course of the season.
It’s something not lost on Wemby, who, to be fair, regardless of how the Silver and Black fared against OKC, would probably have the same outlook.
“Of course, we’re confident,” the MVP finalist, who came in third behind Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, said.
“But, we need to keep the right confidence level,” Wembanyama continued. “It’s going to be the same as usual: prepare, take care of your body, scout, watch the film, practice.”
The spot in the West’s championship round comes in Wemby’s first trip to the postseason.
“It’s great,” the Spurs’ leading scorer revealed. “My mind is excited. I said it on the broadcast earlier; just the words conference finals are crazy. It’s something I’ve heard my whole life, and now being in it just special.”
Victor Wembanyama values limited Spurs playoff experience
While critics and observers alike have pointed to these Spurs lack of experience (and continued to do so, especially with this match-up), the Spurs have gone through two playoff series with relative ease. That includes knocking off a Minnesota Timberwolves franchise that was vying for a third consecutive appearance in the West Finals.
“Of course, they mean something,” Wemby declared.
“Now the nature of the playoffs makes it that we’re going to play against better and better teams,” the reigning Defensive Player of the Year admitted. “There was already a leap between the first and second round, and there’s probably going to be an even bigger leap between the second and third. But we’ve got good guidance. We’ve got a good coaching staff, the best actually. We can trust them.”
Before beating the T’Wolves in six games, the Spurs knocked off the Portland Trail Blazers in five. The only contest they lost occurred on a night in which Wembanyama didn’t play in the better part of three quarters because of a concussion.
“It’s great. It shows that we already gained a little bit of experience from our short playoff time,” the two-time All-Star said. “It feels like we put ourselves in the best conditions. Simple as that.”
The Spurs now face a Thunder squad they beat four of five times during the regular season. Though the last game featured hardly any of Oklahoma City’s regulars, including no Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, San Antonio also won every one of their first three meetings. All within 13 days.
Add in both teams’ youth, and you get the most highly anticipated playoff series in years. Williams is 25 years old, and Holmgren is 24. SGA is 27, while Spurs star De’Aaron Fox is 28. His teammates are much younger. Wembanyama is 22, Stephon Castle is 21, and Dylan Harper is 20.
“Hopefully, there are many more conference finals to come in the next years,” Wemby shared.
Good chance they’ll feature these two teams. Starting now.
Related: NBA conference finals: Schedule, predictions for four remaining teams
Related: Spurs rumors: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio to headline Europe trip next season
