NBA Finals: Spurs Coach Comments on Victor Wembanyama Problem After Game 1 Loss to Knicks
Victor Wembanyama led the San Antonio Spurs in scoring in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, finishing with 26 points along with 12 rebounds and three blocks. However, there's no denying that it wasn't his best game, especially with San Antonio losing 105-95.
In fact, Wembanyama got off to a slow start, scoring just nine points on 2-of-8 shooting in the first half. The French big man was never able to get it going offensively, making just six of his 21 total shots from the field.
Sure enough, it was a major talking point after the game. Reporters asked Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson about his opinion on the matter, especially whether he thinks it was just first-game jitters for Wemby or something else.
Johnson proceeded to acknowledge their shortcomings as a coaching staff, admitting that they might not have put Wembanyama in the best position to dominate. That being said, the Spurs tactician already knows what they need to do to change that.
"We gotta get him moving and spacing towards the rim whether that's on rolls or running in transition," Johnson told reporters, per SNY Knicks. "We need to do a better job of establishing that earlier on, for sure."
Mitch Johnson speaks on his team's performance tonight:
— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 4, 2026
"I don't think it was fatigue... I don't think anyone's performance was based on fatigue, I think we just need to be sharper and execute better" pic.twitter.com/Pi13KF5sIv
For what it's worth, Wembanyama himself refused to blame the emotions of playing in his first NBA Finals for his underwhelming performance, telling reporters that it "was not a factor."
It remains to be seen whether Wembanyama can bounce back in Game 2 on Friday, but it's clear the Spurs need him to be efficient offensively if they want a fighting chance against a resilient and battle-tested Knicks squad.
Related: NBA Legend Dwight Howard Has Blunt MVP Message After Spurs-Thunder Game 7
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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 10:07 PM.