Wembanyama just made the difference between Spurs and Blazers painfully obvious

The San Antonio Spurs are officially up 1-0 in their first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers. That wasn't a surprising outcome, with Spurs star Victor Wembanyama making a massive impact on both sides of the floor.

The Blazer should be commended for building a playoff team even despite former top-three pick Scoot Henderson not yet having turned into a star. Instead, they fleeced the Washington Wizards into giving them Deni Avdija.

They also built a strong supporting cast through the shaft and in free agency. All that being said, they don't have a player of Wembanyama's caliber, and it shows after Game 1.

Wemby made the difference between Spurs and Blazers obvious

To be clear, Avdija was an All-Star this season and may very well end up making the All-NBA. However, there's a huge difference between being a top 15 to 20 player and being a top three player in the NBA.

Team record is a case in point. The Blazers finished the regular season with a 42-40 record, while San Antonio finished with a 62-20 record. There hasn't been a player like Wembanyama throughout NBA history, with his impact on both ends.

In just his first playoff game, he dropped 35 points, surpassing Hall of Famers David Robinson and Tim Duncan for most points in a Spurs postseason debut. Defensively, he wrecked shop, keeping Avdija mostly in check when he was on the floor and preventing anything easy at the rim.

With few easy baskets at the rim, Portland, who ranks 24th in 3-point percentage, was forced to attempt 38 threes and hit only 10. Having one player dominate on both ends is a rarity in the NBA and something the Blazers simply don't have.

Wembanyama is forcing the Blazers to alter their game

To the Blazers' credit, they have several good defenders and are anchored by Donovan Clingan. And while they aren't explosive offensively, ranking just 21st in offensive rating, Avdija leads them in scoring, and they feature a balanced attack.

Nevertheless, they match up poorly against San Antonio, who can take away much of what Portland wants to do. Clingan struggles defending away from the basket and gave up a couple of threes to Wembanyama, forcing him to guard Stephon Castle.

With a smaller defender on him, Wembanyama caught several alley-oops. Being able to attack Portland inside and out will force them to go back to the drawing board to keep him from going off.

San Antonio can make tweaks of their own but don't have nearly the same problem that the Blazers have with Wembanyama. Thus, making him the major difference between the two teams.

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