NBA Finals

[Gerry Hamilton]

For those wondering ... Wemby leads the series in scoring at 27.5 per game. 

27.5, 10.5, 3.5 blocks per 

Brunson is at 25 points per on 19 of 56 from the field (4-17 from 3). Clutch dude, battling through minor injuries IMO

 

[Gerry Hamilton]

13 minutes ago, harveycmd said:

This is a problem, but there's a lot more they could do to improve.

Double teaming Brunson isn't working. They should stop that like they did after game 3 against SGA and just dare Brunson to beat them one on one with contested shots. KAT is the guy killing them, not Brunson.

Offensively they need to work Wemby more in the mid-range to post. When Wemby is the screener in pick/roll, if the screen doesn't immediately generate an open shot, they need to reverse the ball and look for Wemby from the elbow down. 

Castle is a huge part of it IMO. I've been on this watching him in person each of the last two years and them enough on the tube. Spurs are square peg, round hole'ing this thing right now. Castle has ball in hand more than any other player. And he's just not that player. He's not a team runner, let alone a "PG". He's just playing with the most gifted both ends of the floor player in the world. He's not instinctive (like play with 10 seconds to go last night was glaring as have been too many others), it's not natural, he's too slow to make the correct read too much, produces bad flow too much and turns it over too much at critical times. And it's going to be a problem for Spurs long term (against the very best) if the brass doesn't engage him in a role change, and just says this is who you actually are as a player and go do it and very good at it. If he's not willing, which I think will be the case, move him sooner rather than later. 

I think he's a solid player, overrated in the eyes of many, but I would consider trading him right now after the season and getting more wing shooting. 

Spurs need to hand ball to Harper starting next year, surround Wemby with best shooting possible and get a four man that fits the roster/rotation. 

[Hookem72]

On 6/5/2026 at 7:44 AM, harveycmd said:

I've been researching this best ever basketball player in the playoffs at 22 stuff. Seems like Wemby is fifth according to a conglomerate AI search.

Kobe Bryant (2001 Lakers): One of the greatest postseason runs ever while winning his second consecutive title. Kobe averaged 29.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 6.1 APG, leading the Lakers in scoring through the Western Conference gauntlet (including 33.3 PPG against the Spurs) as the team went an historic 15-1 to win the title. Kobe was the team's closer and best defender, famously outdueling Allen Iverson in the Finals.

Magic Johnson (1982 Lakers): Won his second NBA Championship and Finals MVP at age 22. He averaged 17.4 PPG, 11.3 RPG, and 9.3 APG over 14 games. While legendary, he shared alpha duties on a stacked roster featuring prime Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Michael Jordan (1986 Bulls): Played only 3 games but put on the most individually dominant scoring display in playoff history. Facing the legendary 1986 Boston Celtics, Jordan averaged an absurd 43.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 5.7 APG, including his famous 63-point game at Boston Garden. However, the Bulls were swept in the first round.

LeBron James (2007 Cavaliers): Completely carried an underwhelming Cleveland roster all the way to the NBA Finals. He averaged 25.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 8.0 APG over 20 games, highlighted by his legendary Game 5 against Detroit where he scored 29 of the Cavs' final 30 points. Cleveland was ultimately swept by the Spurs in the Finals.

Victor Wembanyama (2026 Spurs): Reached the NBA Finals. Wembanyama averaged 22.1 PPG, 12.3 RPG, and a staggering 4.0 BPG, pacing the entire postseason in blocks and 

Edit: misread your timeline

if Wemby bulks up, his feet will never hold up in my opinion.  At this point he is the freakiest specimen with the highest ceiling of any player ever.  He hasn’t made it yet.  At this point he is just a three year player that could go on to be the GOAT or end up as Yao Ming.

Edited 1 hour ago by Hookem72

[harveycmd]

1 minute ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

Castle is a huge part of it IMO. I've been on this watching him in person each of the last two years and them enough on the tube. Spurs are square peg, round hole'ing this thing right now. Castle has ball in hand more than any other player. And he's just not that player. He's not a team runner, let alone a "PG". He's just playing with the most gifted both ends of the floor player in the world. He's not instinctive (like play with 10 seconds to go last night was glaring as have been too many others), it's not natural, he's too slow to make the correct read too much, produces bad flow too much and turns it over too much at critical times. And it's going to be a problem for Spurs long term (against the very best) if the brass doesn't engage him in a role change, and just says this is who you actually are as a player and go do it and very good at it. If he's not willing, which I think will be the case, move him sooner rather than later. 

I think he's a solid player, overrated in the eyes of many, but I would consider trading him right now after the season and getting more wing shooting. 

Spurs need to hand ball to Harper starting next year, surround Wemby with best shooting possible and get a four man that fits the roster/rotation. 

I agree they should take the ball out of Castle's hands, and if he doesn't like it, trade him. 

In terms of strategy for potentially getting back into this series, however, there's plenty they can do. The Spurs have the much better team. They're letting KAT dictate terms against Wemby. I'm not blaming Mitch. I think he's a great young coach. 

[harveycmd]

5 minutes ago, Hookem72 said:

Edit: misread your timeline

if Wemby bulks up, his feet will never hold up in my opinion.  At this point he is the freakiest specimen with the highest ceiling of any player ever.  He hasn’t made it yet.  At this point he is just a three year player that could go on to be the GOAT or end up as Yao Ming.

Wemby doesn't have to "bulk up" much. He can work on his footwork and offensive bag to take advantage of his height while trying to save his joints. He can play much more in the post offensively without simply "grinding" out position by moving so as to prevent leverage disadvantages.