A San Antonio Spurs player thinks it is time his team pays back the Oklahoma City Thunder for what he sees as overly physical defense against star center Victor Wembanyama.
Forward Julian Champagnie told reporters that the Spurs had to respond to the physical defense on Wembanyama by giving the Thunder some payback. Champagnie admitted that fundamentally, officials have to deal with how Wembanyama is treated, but the Spurs can send their own message.
“The guys hit him, they pull him, they grab his jersey, they’re grabbing his arm when he’s jumping,” Champagnie said, via Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “Obviously, that’s not basketball. That’s just a physicality thing. That’s up to the refs to deal with, not us. But I think as a team, how we can help him is we hit them back.
“Honestly, truly, do the same thing. Do the same thing that they’re doing to us to them. Match the level of physicality and then just see how that goes.”
The Thunder deployed Isaiah Hartenstein against Wembanyama in Game 2, and the star center was limited to 21 points by his physical play. The Spurs were not thrilled with it, but Champagnie is right that the Spurs can only control what they can control, and that might involve sending a message of their own.
The Spurs, of course, have to be careful not to let any of their supposed payback cross a line. Wembanyama has already seemingly lost his cool a couple times in the playoffs, and the Spurs do not need the rest of the team joining him.
