Spurs have the perfect duo to thwart major Timberwolves strength

As the Spurs prepare for their second-round series against the Timberwolves, they’ll need to have a plan for dealing with Minnesota’s surplus of positional size.

Between Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels, and even Kyle Anderson, the Wolves have a lot of big dudes, and that can be overwhelming. Luckily, San Antonio has a towering tandem of their own: Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet.

San Antonio can nullify Minnesota's size with their double-big duo

Size isn’t a strength for Minnesota just because they have it, but because they know how to use it. Their immensity was a key factor in their defeat of the Nuggets. Rudy Gobert banged with and slowed down Nikola Jokic.

Jaden McDaniels fried Denver’s smaller wings. Head coach Chris Finch ran Gobert, Randle, and Reid together for 18 minutes in the series, and that three-man lineup produced an insane +27.8 net rating.

Fortunately, San Antonio has their own jumbo lineup that can be a lot for opponents to handle. The duo of Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet, nicknamed “French Vanilla,” was a secret weapon throughout the regular season.

With those two massive men on the floor, the Spurs were better defensively and dominant on the glass. Statistically, the team got worse offensively with Vic and Luke playing together, but that doesn’t mean the two can’t complement each other and open up some intriguing high-low action possibilities.

For the most part, Mitch Johnson only dabbled with French Vanilla in the regular season—Kornet and Wemby played just 113 minutes together. Against Minnesota, though, he may need to lean on it more heavily, especially when Julius Randle is on the floor.

The Spurs' French Vanilla could be Julius Randle’s weakness

Because of his blend of power and finesse, Julius Randle specifically could give the Spurs fits in this series. Victor Wembanyama is the best one-on-one matchup for him, and in order for Wemby to take that assignment, Luke Kornet will likely need to be on the floor as well, especially when Rudy Gobert is in alongside Randle.

Luckily, as discussed, Wemby and Kornet are more than capable of playing alongside each other— they’re comfortable doing so. With French Vanilla in effect, San Antonio can turn the paint into a no-fly zone for the Wolves, limiting Randle’s scoring as well as Gobert’s impact on the window.

Minnesota ultimately relies heavily on their size and interior game, especially with Anthony Edwards sidelined. If the Spurs successfully neutralize those strengths by deploying Wemby and Kornet, they’ll be able to make quick work of this second round matchup.

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