Two-big lineups aren't fading in the modern NBA, they're just changing
During Saturday night's open scrimmage, Victor Wembanyama and Zach Collins gave Spurs fans a look at how their starting frontcourt could complicate matters for opposing defenses.
The first of 13,200 Spurs fans began filing into the newly renamed Frost Bank Center 90 minutes before the team’s free, mostly annual Silver & Black scrimmage tipped off, some after having been in line literally all day. For many, it was a small price to pay to watch Victor Wembanyama’s first basketball moments in that building, from seats that are otherwise difficult to attain. It was an excuse to party and live large with $2 beers, something San Antonio does better than almost anyone — and that’s without the “Spurs are back” ingredient being added to the flammable dish of feel-good.
But for all the excitement (and not that it mattered), Wembanyama was just alright on Saturday beyond his one dunk, single step-back 3-pointer and a couple of slick passes. He got pushed out of the way for boards on a few occasions, struggled to move guys in the post, and really had to work around the physicality on the perimeter — none of which was surprising, if you’ve been paying close attention. This 19-year-old still has some growing to do.
His understanding of the game was obvious from the start, though, particularly as it pertained to his relationship with Zach Collins, who started next to him at center for the Black team. The Gregg Popovich era of San Antonio Spurs basketball was built on the foundation of the Twin Towers, and while nobody is comparing these two to the greatness that was Tim Duncan and David Robinson, the modern concept of two big men playing together manifested itself on Saturday evening.
Wembanyama, even in his professional infancy, possesses an extraordinary amount of gravitational pull. Whether he’s getting out in transition and rim-running, flashing off pin-down screens to the elbows, or handling the ball around picks on the perimeter, he demands the attention of every player on the court. If defenses let him get to his spots freely without putting a body or three on him, it’s over. He’s just — and this is a crazy thing to say about a player in the NBA — too damn tall and talented.
But one thing became abundantly clear as we watched every one of these scenarios play out at various times throughout Saturday’s proceedings: Collins is going to be a major factor in easing the rookie’s burden, and he’s also just going to be open all the time.
Because of Wembanyama’s size, opposing big men are going to be tasked with either defending him themselves or being called upon for immediate help; and depending on the situation, Collins could find himself available on duck-ins against mismatches, open over the top in high-low situations if the big defender has to step out against Wembanyama around the free-throw line, or looking at wide-open 3-point attempts if the defense is sucked in against the roll.
“It’ll make it tough — pick-your-poison type of thing. Hopefully we can get that chemistry going. We have the skill sets now, it’s just about knowing where the other guy’s gonna be at all times,” Collins said. “We didn’t have too many reps during training camp, so hopefully this preseason we can work out the kinks there a little bit and be ready to go opening night.”
They’re going to have to find that rapport, but during the scrimmage things seemed to click almost immediately. The first basket of the game came after Wembanyama scooped up an offensive rebound and promptly dropped it down to Collins, who had his man pinned. It was a quick, simple motion between the two biggest players on the court, both trying to root out space against an “opposing” interior defense that couldn’t do much to combat it.
“That’s just knowing the game, being a natural at it. That’s just feel, especially being that young in the NBA making those passes,” Collins said of Wembanyama. “And he’s a willing passer. Half the battle is being willing to make that pass, and he wants to pass.”
Over time, Wembanyama’s presence is going to have a sort of cascading effect. He’ll eventually figure out the motions of Devin Vassell pick-and-rolls and off-ball movement, Keldon Johnson spot-ups and downhill bursts, Jeremy Sochan cuts, Doug McDermott space-chasing, and all other team intricacies. Relationships will be forged and efficiency numbers will spike, but the big-man tie might be the easiest to grasp right off the bat. And while it’s probably silly to place Wembanyama in a box right now, at his core he is flatly a man that is big.
There’s a reason the traditional twin-towers approach is virtually nonexistent in the NBA these days, and it all comes down to spacing and defense. If one of your bigs can’t shoot, the other better be an outside threat; if one can’t switch out onto smaller perimeter players, the other better be mobile enough to do so effectively, or else you’re going to get cooked.
But in Collins and Wembanyama, the Spurs have a pairing that can do all of it — from shooting to passing to rebounding to defending both the interior and perimeter.
“I know it is going to be a lot of trouble for teams trying to guard Zach, especially our connection,” Wembanyama said. “He is a good shooter. It is going to be a lot of trouble for opponents, I’m sure. I’m glad to see that he has that confidence in him. I know it is going to be beautiful.”
Every piece is a building block at this point, though, and every moment on the court is a chance to stack another. The big-man dynamic popped on Saturday, but we could see something totally different on Monday night in Oklahoma City as the Spurs open their preseason slate.
For instance, players like Vassell, Cedi Osman and Sandro Mamukelashvili were all knocking down shots during the scrimmage, but they were on the bench opposite Wembanyama on Saturday. Soon, it’ll be their turn to take the court with their new teammate for the first time in an actual game.
“It’s a whole team thing. We’re all trying to figure out where we should be. It’s a new year, new expectations, guys got better this summer, there’s guys competing for spots — that’s what preseason is about,” Collins said. “We’re all just trying to figure it out and Victor is along with that, too. But, at the end of the day, Victor is only going to help us in that.”
From here on out, the stories are only going to pile up along with the aforementioned building blocks. And while Wembanyama may only serve as a piece in many of them — when he isn’t the main topic of course — he will remain the common thread in the tapestry that’s woven throughout the rest of the season.
More than 13,000 people showed up Saturday to watch the player they hope will eventually bring them back to the place of glory they’ve experienced five times before. But, as is always the case in San Antonio, it’s going to take a group to make it all work.
Collins is just the first of many connections.
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If he continues to stay healthy, I like Zach as a legit MIP candidate this year. I don't think he'll have the scoring numbers to actually win the award, but I think he'll get mentioned in the larger discourse throughout the year.
Really looking forward to this partnership. Watching Zach grow as a passer from the elbow last season was fun and it should be even better now that he has Wemby to play off. Can't wait to see it evolve throughout the season.