Spurs' postseason dreams rely heavily on game-breaking Wembanyama ability

Numbers don't always tell the story of a basketball game, but they surely help to add some intriguing context. When we watch Victor Wembanyama, it's easy to see him make an otherworldly impact on the defensive end nightly. Even still, it becomes even more impressive when you attach the right digits to the tale.

That was a gratuitous shot at the end on the Brooklyn Nets from Kirk Goldsberry, but we'll accept it (Sorry, Nets fans; change your jersey colors, and we'll talk).

Goldsberry's stat can't be overlooked going into the playoffs. Victor Wembanama is expected to increase his minutes during the postseason. There was a bit of relief when he went to the bench during the year, as teams always overtune their paint attacks when he sits down, trying to take advantage of the space that resting him gifts their offensive sets. They'll have much less of that now.

Wembanyama's defensive impact isn't really solvable

While this iteration of the Spurs is much different from Tim Duncan's bunch stylistically, the fundamentals of the team are the same. Mitch Johnson has put one of the best offenses on the floor all season, but they rely on their defense to propel their dominance. That's been true from the very first game of the year.

The Alien's 40-point explosion got all the publicity in that late October game in Dallas, but San Antonio's defense was just as spectacular, and Vic spearheaded that, too. In addition to his three blocks, Luke Kornet threw in two rejections of his own, and the team racked up 10 steals while holding the Mavericks to a mere 92 points.

January was their worst month as an offense, but they treaded water because they continued locking teams down like they posed a danger to the public. Wembanyama's range is just too vast for opponents to ignore. You can't just stick his man in the corner and try to attack the other side of the floor, believing a layup will go up unimpeded. He'll make up the ground.

Wemby is already considered by some to be the best defender in NBA history. That's because he can defend the rim from almost every single spot on the floor, he can block three-point shots, and he makes up ground faster than we've ever seen. You don't really find a way around that. You just deal with it.

How you do that will determine if you can win a game or not. Not every team in the playoffs has what they need to avoid four straight losses. I'm looking at you, Portland. Get that broom ready.

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