The OKC Thunder has been hit with narratives from numerous television and social media personalities about being a dirty team when defending San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama during their Western Conference Finals series.
Amid all these talks, Inside the NBA’s Charles Barkley took the Thunder’s side, defending them for their physicality, which Barkley described as “one of the softest fouls” he has ever seen.
“They ain’t playing dirty,” Barkley said of the Thunder when playing against the Spurs. “These are some of the softest fouls I’ve ever seen in my life. You got these clowns on TV talking about how they’re going to hurt poor Wemby. It drives me crazy watching these shows.”
-Charles Barkley 😳
(via @ESPNNBA)
The Thunder has been on the receiving end of harsh comments about how they foul the 7-foot-5 Wembanyama in every play.
This is in line with fans’ perceptions of them as a foul-baiting squad and a team that has benefited largely from the referees’ missed calls.
The Thunder has a slew of coverages to contain Wembanyama since the start of the series. In Game 1, they defended Wemby through tall guards, such as Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams, but it did not pan out well as the Spurs superstar put up 41 points and 24 rebounds in the double overtime victory.
They adjusted in Game 2, giving Wembanyama a different look by defending him with Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, pushing him away from the paint and allowing to only take jumpshots.
The adjustment resulted in back-to-back wins for the Thunder to take the edge in the series at 2-1.
Charles Barkley Calls Out People Who Complain About Fouls on Wemby
GettyOKC Thunder’s Chet Holmgren defends Victor Wembanyama.
Following Game 2 last Wednesday, Barkley took shots at those who complained about the Thunder’s defense on Wembanyama by expressing a funny analogy.
“I’ve been kissed harder,” Barkley said. “There were no excessive fouls. For you people thinking that’s physicality, y’all need to shut the hell up.”
Barkley played in an era where physicality thrived in the NBA, making his stake understandable. In this series, the referees have allowed players to play through contact.
Wembanyama’s defenders have dealt with foul trouble over the past two games, especially Hartenstein, who picked up four fouls in Game 2 and five fouls in Game 3.
In Game 3, the Spurs were whistled with more fouls at 28, three more than the Thunder committed.
Thunder Superstar Gives Praise to Isaiah Hartenstein For Defending Victor Wembanyama
GettyIsaiah Hartenstein has been the Thunder’s best defensive shot at Wembanyama.
Isaiah Hartenstein was the X-factor the Thunder needed in the series, especially after Game 1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the two-time reigning MVP, praised Hartenstein for playing his role well in defending Victor Wembanyama.
“He’s our physicality, our backbone. He’s our bruiser,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after Game 2. “Sets screens, rebounds for us. He’s physical. He also obviously is very skilled — likes to pass, plays in the pocket, makes the next play. He helps us a lot out there. We saw his effectiveness tonight for sure on a very high stage, very high stakes in this game.
The Thunder is expected to play Hartenstein heavy minutes against the rest of the series, following their success as Wemby’s primary defender.
Game 4 of the series will be on Sunday, May 24, in San Antonio.
Charles Barkley Picks Thunder’s Side Amid Narratives About Dirty Plays on Wemby