Nets Face Tall Task Tonight in Matchup with Victor Wembanyama's Spurs

The Victor Wembanyama hype will hit Barclays Center tonight as the Brooklyn Nets face the San Antonio Spurs for the first time this season.

Mar 17, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) drives to the basket while defended by Brooklyn Nets center Nicolas Claxton (33) during the first half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Victor Wembanyama's All-Star campaign will continue tonight against the Brooklyn Nets, as they take on the San Antonio Spurs at Barclays Center. This will be one of the most exciting matchups of the season for the Nets, as "The Alien" will make his visit to Brooklyn after falling to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Christmas.

Against the Knicks, Wembanyama put up an incredible 42 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, and four blocks, despite losing 117-114. He put the team on his back in an iconic duel, however, former Nets forward Mikal Bridges nearly matched him with 41 points of his own, helping New York come away with a holiday win.

For Brooklyn, the key matchup is Wembanyama against Nic Claxton. The Nets center will have a tall task in guarding the 7-foot-3 giant, not just in the paint but also on the perimeter. Wembanyama is averaging 25.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks per game, but the key stat to watch is that he's taking 9.5 three-pointers per game.

Claxton will have the unique task of guarding Wembanyama on the perimeter and in the paint. Despite his height, the French center can move surprisingly well and has a good handle. Luckily for the Nets, Claxton is an agile center at 6-foot-11, 215 pounds. He's averaging 1.2 blocks per game and is known to be one of the best paint protectors in the league.

The key is to make Wembanyama settle for the outside shot. He's almost guaranteed to finish over anyone in the paint, and against the Knicks, he shot 6-for-16 from three, which accounts for more than half of his field goals attempted. Claxton will have to be able to force him out of the paint and make the 20-year-old rely on his jumper to limit the Spurs' offensive opportunities.

On the other end, Claxton may be playing more of a spaced role on offense. The key for the Nets will be taking Wembanyama out of the paint. While Claxton rarely shoots threes, he attempted two in last night's win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Those attempts may go up tonight, but the goal is to space the floor to keep Wembanyama from playing help defense.

If the lineup with Claxton doesn't work, Brooklyn can always match the star center up with 6-foot-10 point guard Ben Simmons, Day'Ron Sharpe, or Cameron Johnson. It will be more of a task on offense to keep Wembanyama out of the paint rather than contain him on the other end. It's nearly impossible to stop a 7-foot-3 giant having an All-NBA season.

Regardless, the matchup in Brooklyn will be a spectacle for fans of both teams. Last season, the Nets won this matchup at Barclays Center, holding Wembanyama to 21 points and four rebounds on 7-of-16 shooting. Hopefully, they can have that same effect in this game.

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