Spurs will lean on unique preparation to weather Wembanyama injury

Victor Wembanyama went down late in the first half in Game 2 against Portland with a concussion, leaving him unavailable for at least the next game. This means one thing: other Spurs need to step up in his absence to keep things going in this series.

The Spurs are in luck, though. This group had no problem staying solid with Wemby out this season. They posted a 12-6 record in games without him, including a 2-1 record in his absence against the Portland Trailblazers.

But the stakes are getting higher. They're heading into Portland for the next two games, which is known to be a hectic environment in the playoffs. This Blazers team is going to come out aggressive and throw punches early to take a lead in a series in which they're the underdog.

The Spurs need to secure the interior

What do you lose the most with Wemby out? Ding-ding, you found the answer: rim protection. I mean, he just became the NBA's first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year for a reason. The Blazers know this, and best believe they're going to test the paint early.

Spurs defenders need to stay strong at the point of attack to prevent paint drives and keep those interior looks from happening in the first place. Additionally, Luke Kornet has to be a wall on the back line of that Spurs defense. He may not stifle opponents at the rim quite like Wemby, but he still needs to provide resistance.

There was some evidence of Kornet doing just that. He had a couple of good contests in the paint late in the fourth quarter, so staying consistent there is going to be huge.

Carter Bryant's number is about to get called even more

Depth at the center position becomes a major concern with Wemby being out. After the game, Mitch Johnson made it clear that there would be discussions of Carter Bryant operating as a small-ball big with Kornet off the floor.

This is a peek into just how versatile a defender Carter Bryant is. Not only can he guard perimeter players as we saw tonight, but Mitch Johnson can also stick him on bigger opponents. Small lineups work because of do-it-all defenders, and it's such a luxury to have a rookie be the one to provide that.

The only thing that concerns me with this is the rebounding. The Spurs gave up 15 offensive boards in Game 2, which was a major swing factor. So while Bryant's defensive versatility is amazing, the Spurs also need to play big and limit second-chance opportunities for Portland to fully optimize smaller lineups.

Game 3 has to be a Fox and Vassell offensive takeover

With Victor gone, the Spurs are missing an elite offensive force that had a historic, 35-point performance in Game 1. They need to find scoring elsewhere, and I immediately think about De'Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell. This duo was important with a healthy Wemby, and will be even more important in his absence.

Let's start with Fox. Yes, he indeed made a necessary sacrifice this season on the offensive end to help with developing Castle and Harper. But at this point, we need the vibes he delivered in that 2023 postseason. Aggression and efficiency are the biggest keys for him moving forward in this series. He also needs to keep better control of the ball moving forward (three turnovers in Game 2).

Devin Vassell had some amazing moments in the second half of Game 1 to keep San Antonio in front. Unfortunately, his Game 2 wasn't as great, going 0-5 from the three-point line. Like Fox, the Spurs need him to find the balance between efficiency and aggression if they want a crucial road win on Thursday night.

What needs to happen over the next few days for the Spurs isn't rocket science. Point-of-attack and interior defense have to stay solid, and the Vassell/Fox duo needs to bounce back after a rough Game 2 showing. The good thing is that San Antonio demonstrated they can operate under these conditions.

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