Historic Spurs comeback is impossible without Wemby overcoming admitted challenge

There's nothing better than a superstar who knows how to hold himself accountable. Victor Wembanyama fully understands that the Spurs need his relentless hustle and dedication on the defensive end if they want to mount a comeback against New York.

This is the perfect response from Wemby. He knows the Knicks have been able to exploit soft spots in his defensive attack throughout the first two games of the series. We've seen a handful of possessions where players blew right past him on the baseline and got easy looks at the basket.

These things have nothing to do with whether or not he can guard at this level. It simply comes down to effort. He was dominant as a defender through this postseason against some really good teams, so it's up to him to bring that same energy against New York.

Wemby's hustle is such an important part of his dominant defense

When talking about Victor Wembanyama's defense, it's very easy to get caught up in how good of a shot-blocker he is. And rightfully so, he's the best at that in the NBA. But another characteristic of his dominance on that end is his relentless effort.

Wemby can cause chaos by flying around the court, blowing up multiple actions in a single possession. We've seen him hustle from the perimeter all the way into the paint to keep opponents from getting on the scoreboard. He's just a one-man defensive wrecking crew.

We just haven't seen that same energy in this series yet. Now, he definitely hasn't been horrible, as he's averaging 3.5 blocks in the first two games. But he just hasn't had the same pep in his step that earned him unanimous DPOY honors.

The Spurs need a full return to form for Victor on the defensive end if they want to walk into Madison Square Garden and shock Knicks fans for a couple of nights. The team is at its most dangerous when he fully unleashes his wrath on that side of the floor.

It makes sense that Victor's exhausted... but it's not an excuse

Wemby was undoubtedly fatigued in the first two games of the series, and that's understandable. The Spurs played six games against the Wolves in the second round and seven against the Thunder in the West Finals. That's a lot for someone who has to carry a heavy load on both sides of the basketball.

But Victor knows that's not an excuse. He still has to bring it for the Spurs if they want to accomplish their ultimate goal. The best players have always been able to take the punches of a long, drawn-out playoff run and still muster up the energy to lead their groups in the Finals. If he wants to validate his superstar status, he must do the same.

Wemby's heard the criticism over the last few days and has taken accountability. Now it's time for him to execute. I do want to be fair, he's been far from bad in this series so far. But he's aware that he needs to turn it up a notch for the Spurs if they want to add themselves to the short list of teams to come back from down 0-2.

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