Victor Wembanyama is widely regarded as one of the most dominant forces in the NBA today—but apparently, Stephen A. Smith isn't quite ready to join that chorus.
The San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves are locked in a fierce Western Conference Semifinals battle, currently tied 2-2. But things could have looked very different. The Spurs might be heading into Game 5 with a 3-1 lead if Wembanyama hadn't been ejected in the second quarter of Game 4 for throwing a nasty right elbow at Timberwolves center Naz Reid.
Lucky for San Antonio, the league decided not to suspend the rookie phenom for that incident. That means he'll be on the floor for Game 5—bad news for Minnesota, right? Well, maybe not, according to Smith.
During a segment on First Take, Smith stirred up some debate with a bold take. He suggested the Timberwolves might actually prefer having Wembanyama on the court—not despite his talent, but because of his frame. "How do you know they don't want Wemby on the basketball court tonight?" Smith asked. "They might want him out there, even though he's 7'5". Especially because this is not the Diesel."
He went on to compare Wembanyama to Shaquille O'Neal, saying, "If it's somebody like Shaquille O'Neal walking around 330, 340 pounds and dunking on your mug, that would be different. But because of how skinny he is, you might have some cats that might want him out there. As great as he is, they might want him out there, just so they can make sure he feels them."
It's an intriguing theory, but it raises a pretty obvious question: If the Timberwolves were so eager to face Wembanyama, why didn't anyone—Naz Reid, Anthony Edwards, or any other player—step up and argue against his ejection in Game 4? Surely, if they wanted him on the floor, they would have said something in the moment.
Smith has a history of focusing on what Wembanyama lacks physically, particularly his weight—or, as he's put it before, his lack of "meat." But the reality is, lean or not, Wembanyama is still an incredibly imposing presence on the court. Even former NBA big man Kendrick Perkins, who knows a thing or two about playing with size, has acknowledged Wembanyama's impact.
Whether the Timberwolves truly want him out there or not, they'll have to face the 7'5" rookie in Game 5. And if his performance so far is any indication, they might want to be careful what they wish for.