The 2026 NBA Finals tip off tonight, and all eyes are on Victor Wembanyama. The 22-year-old Spurs star has spent this postseason dismantling every defensive scheme thrown at him. He has posted 23.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game across 17 playoff games.
Now the Knicks and their star two-way forward, OG Anunoby, get their shot at him on the biggest stage in basketball.
Draymond Green Warns OG Anunoby’s Skillset Could Be Tested
Draymond Green, the four-time NBA champion who has seen plenty of elite defenders up close, is not convinced the assignment is as clean as it looks. The Warriors veteran stepped onto his podcast ahead of Game 1 to lay out exactly where he thinks the Knicks could run into trouble, and his analysis cuts straight to the heart of this matchup.
Green said, “I said all of that to say, the size around matters because when Wembanyama is rolling, OG Anunoby then going to have to play some pick-and-roll coverage. Which is where this matchup can get dicey because OG and pick-and-roll coverage. OG’s used to guard and guard in pick-and-roll coverage.
“To then go from guarding the, used to being accustomed to guard and guards mostly who move around, to having to guard a lobster who actually happens to be probably the best one we’ve ever seen, it requires a different skill set,” the veteran added.
The problem, as Green identifies it, is what happens when Wembanyama stops being the screener and becomes the roller. Anunoby will no longer chase a guard around a screen. He will be tracking a 7-foot-4 center with an 8-foot wingspan who can catch a lob above the rim and finish over any defender in the league.
The numbers back up just how dangerous Wembanyama becomes in that scenario. This postseason, he has delivered performances that belong in the all-time playoff conversation, including 41 points and 24 rebounds in a double-overtime Game 1 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the WCF.
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He became just the fourth player in NBA history to record at least 35 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks in a single playoff game, joining a list that does not include many names outside of the all-time greats.
Anunoby’s own playoff numbers have been remarkable. The 28-year-old forward is averaging 19.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game this postseason, shooting 57.7% from the field. He has made a name for himself as one of the best two-way players in the league.
Game 1 tips off tonight at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. If Green is right, the Anunoby-Wembanyama pick-and-roll battle will be the matchup that defines the series.
