Spurs must waste no time unleashing devastating Wembanyama weapon on Wolves

After his struggles in Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is in desperate need of a bounce-back game.

He managed just 11 points on 5-17 shooting, including going 0-8 from three. However, he did go 4-5 from inside the arc, and San Antonio must do a better job of getting him easier shots inside the paint.

San Antonio has done a good job of that all season but failed mightily in Game 1. Fortunately, they already have the perfect strategy for getting Wembanyama high-quality shots in the paint.

Spurs must waste no time unleashing the devastating Wemby weapon.

Against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Spurs repeatedly used pin-down screens to free Wembanyama up. They proved especially effective with the Blazers often having smaller players guarding him.

Wembanyama curling off an off-ball pick set by Stephon Castle or Julian Champagnie with smaller players struggling to fight over the screen is a recipe for success. After all, once Wembanyama got the ball, he had a clear path to the basket.

San Antonio has used those types of plays repeatedly when Wemby is being guarded by smaller players, and it works like a charm. The same principal applies, even with him being guarded by Rudy Gobert, with that action possibly forcing him out of his comfort zone.

We all expect Wembanyama to have a big bounceback game in Game 2, and there were some positives that he can build from. One being that he was able to take Gobert off the dribble and finish at the rim twice.

Getting Wembanyama more shots in the paint will swing the series

Gobert thrives defending at the rim and in the post but less so when his opponent is facing up. It's also notable that the Wolves sacrificed defense for offense by benching Gobert for most of the fourth quarter.

Combine that with Wembanyama playing big minutes in Game 1, and he has an opportunity to punish the Wolves in Game 2. Neither Julius Randle nor Naz Reid is as good defensively as Gobert.

However, they may be better suited defending on the perimeter. It also hopefully helps players such as De'Aaron Fox, Castle, and Dylan Harper get to the rim without a true rim protector.

If they can get downhill, then it could free Wembanyama up for better looks from outside, and by using more pin downs, he should hopefully punish the Timberwolves in the paint. In doing so, he would make up for his poor offensive showing in Game 1 and hopefully help San Antonio tie the series in Game 2.

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