Promising Victor Wembanyama reality hidden in the Spurs' devastating loss

It's hard to take attention away from the Knicks for pulling off one of the most iconic wins in basketball history with their 29-point comeback. But there was a Victor Wembanyama reality that we all should acknowledge: Game 4 was a canon event in his potential Hall-Of-Fame career.

The Frenchman got off to a great start, validating any notions about him being the best player in the world. He dominated offensively, seemingly leaving New York's defense hopeless about trying to contain him. And then, after Method Man exclaimed "Knicks in five" during a halftime performance of C.R.E.A.M., everything changed.

To be blunt, Victor's second half was bad. He struggled to make shots from beyond the arc and at the free-throw line. He played a massive part in San Antonio's devastating choke job.

For Spurs fans, I know it stings now. But here's the bigger picture: moments like this will undoubtedly mold Wemby into an even better player.

Every superstar goes through trials early in their career

It's very easy to pile on Victor right now based on his performance in Game 4. His taunting Mitchell Robinson in the first half didn't age well and will be meme material for the summer. But he's not completely alone in this moment. He added himself to a list of superstars who took some devastating postseason punches in their careers.

LeBron James did not play well in his first two NBA Finals appearances between 2007 and 2011. Stephen Curry was already a champion by 2016, but a blown 3-1 lead against the Cavaliers that year altered his legacy. These are the two greatest players of the 2010s, and they had some significant tribulations on the championship stage.

The point I'm trying to make is simple. Great players have bad moments. Their defining quality is how they respond to those moments. Victor may or may not lead the Spurs to a comeback and win this series; we'll wait and see. But Game 4 will undoubtedly burn into his brain and motivate him to become an even better player.

The man is just 22 years old. He's going to have several more opportunities to get on this stage. But his future performances on this stage hinge on the lessons he learned, not just in last night's game but in the entire series.

Prepare to see a more dominant version of Wemby

Expect to see a more defined version of Victor Wembanyama after this season. His biggest weaknesses are being exposed in the NBA Finals, so he has no choice but to make the necessary adjustments in his game that will make him even more difficult to stop down the road.

He needs to polish his scoring attack. We're seeing that in real time. His most common flaw is his over-reliance on the three-point shot. He can fall in love with it a bit too much, which limits his individual production and San Antonio's offense as a whole.

There are some flaws in his defense as well. While he is the unanimous DPOY, he had some bad moments on that end of the floor this series that are contributing to New York's 3-1 lead.

Here's the big idea: this series will mark a turning point for his style of play. You can't expect a young player to improve without the proper reps, and he's getting the best reps possible in one of the most-viewed NBA Finals series in years.

Again, it's fine to be disappointed in Wemby now. But I want to give critics perspective. The bad moments in this series are serving as lessons that will turn into amazing moments later in his career.

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