French phenom Victor Wembanyama is a +176 on the floor through the first 14 games of his playoff career with the San Antonio Spurs.
Hall of Famer David Robinson set the Spurs franchise record when he was a +194 in 17 games en route to the 1999 championship. Wemby has a realistic chance to break “The Admiral’s” record in either Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday or by Game 6 on Thursday.
Wemby has been a +12.6 on the floor through 14 games thus far and a +12.5 against the Thunder in the first four games of the West Finals. If he can maintain that pace, he is a lock to break Robinson’s record before the end of the Thunder series.
Highest +/- in a Single Playoff Run in Spurs History:
+194 — David Robinson (1999) in 17 GP
+191 — Manu Ginobili (2003) in 24 GP
+182 — Tim Duncan (2003) in 24 GP
+181 — Manu Ginobili (2014) in 23 GP
+176 — Victor Wembanyama (2026) in 14 GP so far
Spurs Dominant With Wemby
The on/off numbers best illustrate just how crucial Wembanyama has been to keeping the Spurs competitive at 2-2 against the reigning champions.
Thunder have been a -50 on the floor when they’ve had to contend with Wemby, and a +46 when he’s off the court. Furthermore, all the starters on the Thunder have been a net negative on the floor — including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-2.0) and Chet Holmgren (-0.3) — but have capitalized on the minutes Wemby has been off the court.
Many analysts also blame Chet Holmgren for failing to neutralize Wembanyama, leaving the Thunder struggling to stay competitive whenever the Frenchman is on the floor. To that end, Holmgren has shot 37.5% (3-of-8) when guarded by Wemby, while allowing his rival to shoot 47.4% (9-of-19) on the other end as the primary defender.
Will Chet Holmgren Answer?
Ahead of Game 5, The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II explained why Holmgren holds the key to not only neutralizing Wemby but keeping the Thunder alive in the series.
“Victor Wembanyama is owning Chet Holmgren,” wrote Thompson.
“Holmgren shouldn’t be shamed for being outplayed by Wembanyama. No glory gets lost in being bested by a player so unique and transcendent that Spurs fans show up to games dressed like extras in “Mars Attacks.”
“But in a battle of slender big men, in this era where post presence is increasingly measured by length as much as girth, Holmgren is disappearing behind Wembanyama. The absence of Jalen Williams — and the loss of Ajay Mitchell for Game 4 — highlights that reality for the Oklahoma City Thunder. In neon.”
“….Holmgren is a star. He must, for the sake of the Thunder’s repeat, for the continued construction of the Oklahoma City dynasty, shine like one.”
Spurs vs Thunder Game 5 tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Historically, the winner of Game 5 of a 2-2 tied series has advanced 84.1% of the time (116-22). As such, the winner of the Western Conference Finals could very well be decided on Tuesday.
Spurs Get Notable Victor Wembanyama News Before Thunder Game 5