Victor Wembanyama has emerged as the NBA’s ultimate unicorn — and now the generational phenom stands squarely in the Knicks’ path to contention.
LAS VEGAS — Every team thinks it has a plan to slow down Victor Wembanyama. Almost none actually succeed.
Put a big on him to counter his 7-foot-4 height, and he’ll drag him out to the perimeter and use his quickness. Put a smaller defender on him and he’ll just bully them physically. Put a hybrid on him — like the Knicks have with OG Anunoby, who can usually guard all five positions on the court — and Wembanyama is still often able to just shoot over them.
Yes, guys like Kevin Durant or Kristaps Porzingis have transcended normal limitations for their size and been able to dominate all over the court. But Wembanyama has multiple inches on even those guys. He is a unicorn the likes of which the NBA has never really seen before.
And one that stands in the Knicks’ way when they face the Spurs in the NBA Cup final on Tuesday.
“Well, you’re not going to be able to guard a guy like that one-on-one,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said after practice on Monday. “You try to put length, size, physicality at the point of attack when it comes to him, but it’s got to be five guys guarding the basketball at all times. We do that no matter who we’re playing, but especially when it comes to a guy like Wemby. … We have some pretty good defenders with length, and hopefully they can, at the point of attack, try to make it as difficult as possible with him, knowing that they have help behind them.”
Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots between Chet Holmgren #7 and Cason Wallace #22 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the fourth quarter of a semifinal game of the Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena on December 13, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Anunoby is the likeliest choice for Brown to match up with Wembanyama.
He possesses their best combination of length and agility. He is also the Knicks’ most physical player, and given Wembanyama’s skinny frame, that is one area where he can perhaps be bothered.
“It’s always fun to guard great players,” Anunoby said on Monday. “You can learn a lot from the experience. Just making it as difficult as possible. Try not to let him get comfortable, force him into tougher shots. He’s a great player, so he’ll make some, but force him into tough shots. Try to maybe have him catch the ball a little further [from the rim]. Try to make him as uncomfortable as possible.”
Or Brown can go with Karl-Anthony Towns, his tallest option in the starting lineup.
Knicks forward OG Anunoby #8, during practice at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Since moving to center, Towns has improved defensively since he is able to stay closer to the paint. When he was playing power forward with Mitchell Robinson in the starting lineup at center, Towns was often forced out of the paint and his lack of speed was exposed. And Wembanyama is certainly capable of doing exactly that.
“He’s very talented,” Towns said on Monday. “For us, we’re gonna have to do a good job of executing our defensive gameplan. Everything for us is about execution. I think that’s what’s made us really good recently, playing basketball, is our execution.”
Having Anunoby guard Wembanyama would also present a problem for Towns. He would likely be forced to match up with Harrison Barnes, who largely operates outside the perimeter and would force Towns to leave the paint. That domino effect has to be part of Brown’s consideration.
Wembanyama just returned from a calf injury for the Spurs’ win over the Thunder in the semifinals on Saturday. And he came off the bench, with the Spurs wanting to manage his minutes and ensure he was available for the end of the game. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson was noncommittal about whether they’ll do that again on Tuesday.
That could mean Robinson gets spells on Wembanyama off the bench. He is taller than Anunoby and quicker than Towns and could be a good fit for the assignment.
“You’re trying to provide a landscape that has pristine spacing that puts the defense in a bind,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said on Monday, “where they can’t guard him with multiple people and get back to the rest of the people on the basketball court.”
Everybody’s got a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Or until Wembanyama shoots over them.
