Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one game away from returning to the NBA Finals. One game away from getting to face the New York Knicks for a chance at his second-straight NBA Championship. But one man, one thing – one never-before-seen entity – stands in his way: Elimination-game Victor Wembanyama.
We’ve heard of Game 6 Klay Thompson. We’ve heard of playoff Michael Jordan and Kawhi Leonard. But we’ve never seen Wembanyama with his back against the wall. For the first time in his young NBA career, Wembanyama will play a game with his season on the line. And who knows what he will look like.
It’s a scary reality to envision.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will have to deal with Elimination-Game Victor Wembanyama
Throughout the course of these playoffs, Wembanyama’s competitive side has been solidified. There had been glimpses of it in the regular season up to this point in his career, but this is his first postseason run.
And in the playoffs, everything kicks up a notch – Wembanyama’s intensity included. He’s been an absolute beast, and when he doesn’t perform well, he takes it personally.
After his rough performance in Game 5 – a Thunder win that gave them a 3-2 edge in the series – Wembanyama skipped out on media after the game. The NBA had to give him a warning about his actions.
He’s upset. Mad about his own performance. Mad that the Spurs are down in the series. And now, heading back to San Antonio, he’ll have a chance to unleash his anger in his home court.
For the Thunder, who haven’t exactly been the most consistent offensive team lately, that’s a scary beast to envision. Because who knows what Wembanyama will look like?
Will he finally be the aggressive offensive player Spurs fans need him to be? Will his defense be all the more absurd when he adds an extra batch of intensity to the mix?
In Game 6, we could see a new NBA legend take form – Elimination-game Wembanyama. He has a chance to join the ranks of the NBA’s greatest very early on in his career.
And it’s up to Gilgeous-Alexander to stop him. To shut him down. To send the Thunder to the NBA Finals without having to worry about a Game 7.
It’s up to him to get through Wembanyama. And there’s no telling what version of Wembanyama the Thunder are going to get.
But based on his history and the intensity he plays with on a nightly basis, it seems likely that OKC is going to have to deal with a very, very high-level version of Wembanyama.
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