Spurs’ Mitch Johnson gets real about Victor Wembanyama’s slow start in Game 1

Jun 4, 2026 - 05:00

Heading into Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals, one player above all others was the focal point for the San Antonio Spurs and not just because of his size: Victor Wembanyama.

Taking the court against New York Knicks leader Jalen Brunson in a regular David versus Goliath situation, the Spurs were able to take a 27-19 lead, but not because of Wemby’s efforts, with ‘The Alien’ only scoring five points on five shots for his troubles.

Discussing Wembanyama’s slow start against the Knicks, head coach Mitch Johnson admitted that while he has to rewatch the film, it felt like the Spurs as a whole didn’t attack the paint enough, which is where their star player thrives.

“Yeah, I have to go back and look at the film, felt like, you know, he missed a few shots early, and we got to get him moving in space and towards the rim, whether that’s on rolls or running in transition, but we need the pressure on the rim and the force in the paint,” Johnson said. “And then they did a good job, obviously being physical and showing crowds, but, you know, we need to do a better job of establishing that early on for sure.”

Now granted, in the end, Wembanyama didn’t have poor stats, scoring 26 points to go with 12 rebounds and three blocks, but his late turnovers really hurt the Spurs, as they were unable to slow down a late Knicks surge that resulted in a 105-95 decision. With Game 2 scheduled for Friday, it will be incredibly interesting to see if San Antonio will attack the paint early on with Wemby or if New York will force the Spurs to play their game instead.

Mitch Johnson responds to Victor Wembanyama's slow start to Game 1 of the NBA Finals:
"We gotta get him moving and spacing towards the rim whether that's on rolls or running in transition… we need to do a better job of establishing that earlier on, for sure" pic.twitter.com/SXLWu90OfS
— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 4, 2026