No Moral Victories: Battles with Jokić Offer Lessons for Victor Wembanyama

The San Antonio Spurs split a two-game series with the Denver Nuggets on back-to-back nights, but while they won one and took the other to overtime, they don't find solace in any moral victories. Rather, they found lessons.

Jan 4, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts after losing a game in overtime to the Denver Nuggets at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

SAN ANTONIO — For the second year in a row, Victor Wembanyama celebrated a trip around the sun with a family he inherited 563 days ago.

Last year, when the center left teenagehood behind, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks came to town. That day, Wembanyama entered the floor for warm-ups to a screaming crowd that sang him happy birthday while he clapped along. This time around, the fanfare was similar.

He'd seen it before, but it wasn't any less special.

"It feels good, for sure, to have everybody being kind," Wembanyama said of sharing his last two birthdays with basketball. "From the chef who saw me coming in to the fans singing a little bit during warmups.

"Everybody is in a good mood, so it makes me in a good mood."

The morning he turned 21, that was the sentiment that loomed, especially coming off of a win over the Denver Nuggets on the road in the first of two straight games between the European-led squads. But when the buzzer sounded after the second one, the mood wasn't as light.

READ MORE: Against Jokić, Nuggets, Wembanyama Earned His Praise

Perhaps that's why Wembanyama opted to go through his entire recovery process without interruption before speaking with the media, even if it took an hour. It gave the newly-legal star a chance to reflect.

When he was done, he emerged slightly downtrodden and in no mood to entertain any excuses about why the San Antonio Spurs might have fallen short — no matter how justified they might have been.

"The facts are, yeah. We're a young team," Wembanyama said, "but using that as an excuse, for me, is like pressing the brake (pedal). Using that as an excuse shows a bad mentality."

Jan 4, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) commits a foul against San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

To his point, the Spurs have needed to find a balance between admitting they're young with plenty to learn and allowing it to be the scapegoat for blown leads or too many turnovers. Adding Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes into the mix aided that effort instantly, but it's been a continued battle.

Saturday evening, San Antonio lost. And it accepted no moral victories.

"It's a frustrating loss, especially when you felt like you had some control," Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said. "You don't play a team of that caliber two nights in a row without saying you did some good things, (but) it's a never-ending battle of improvement and perfection."

Turns out, it was Paul who laid it out perfectly in typical fashion: a locker room deliverance.

"Chris said: 'We're not here to play good games. We're here to win games,'" Wembanyama relayed. "We could be satisfied that we played them into overtime, but that's not what we want."

READ MORE: After Making History, Paul's Impact on Spurs Clearer

He went on: "Last year, we couldn't think about the playoffs. We had to think about the instant. Saying we wanted to go to the playoffs would have been too quick because we weren't there yet.

"Now, I agree with Chris."

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In two games, Wembanyama has earned more praise from his opponents than he had at once all season. His impact is clear and is oft discussed both before and after other teams play him, but Nikola Jokić and Co. made it a point to give credit where it was due.

Even into a microphone still standing on the court at Frost Bank Center.

"He’s a special player," said Jokić of Wembanyama, who managed to rival his stat lines in both contests. "Those kinds of players always make you work harder, do a little bit extra."

Jokić's normal tends to be others' "extra," so what happens when he's forced into such a mindset? A near 46-point triple-double, for one. Perhaps a little bit more grit, too.

If one thing was certain, however, both of those things served as lessons for the 21-year-old center who was matched up with the best player in the world the entire time.

The Spurs couldn't slow him down, even if he all he did was "be Joker."

"I learned a lot of things about how he makes his teammate better," Wembanyama said, "but also how I should guard him."

Jan 4, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) battle for position during an inbound pass in the second half at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Wembanyama might not take the credit for himself, but he managed to make life harder for Jokić, as Nuggets coach Mike Malone explained following Game 1 of the two-game series, and the result was a pair of competitive games.

In them, he notched a combined 55 points, 41 rebounds, six blocks and six 3-pointers to continue his stellar string of games that's set him apart from the rest of the league all year.

That didn't go unnoticed by his teammates.

"Victor's been phenomenal all season," Barnes said. "He rose to the occasion playing against a multi-time MVP in Jokić ... doing it on both ends of the floor. He's been amazing."

READ MORE: How Wembanyama Found Beauty in Simplicity

As the Spurs continue to march toward the halfway mark of the season, they continue to hover around the .500 mark — a vast improvement from a season ago. At the end of last year, they knocked off the Nuggets in a victory that didn't mean much for them.

This time around, they had more to play for. On one hand, that made the road victory sweeter. It also made the home loss sting more. Especially with the control they felt.

"For us, there's no moral victory," Barnes said. "There's no solace in splitting a back-to-back. We felt like both games were winnable ... it's unfortunate that we let go of the rope a little bit."

Does it help their case of feeling part of the race for the playoffs in the Western Conference? That was easier to admit.

"Of course," Wembanyama said, "but that doesn't mean it's enough. One win is better than zero, but worse than two."

READ MORE: Old As They Feel, Spurs Still Experiencing Growing Pains

Two nights ago, Wembanyama wished for another win for his birthday. A year ago, one evaded him, despite a bout with Antetokounmpo aptly described as epic. This year, the same thing happened.

The Spurs have a ways to go. More to learn. Facing a team like the Nuggets led by a star like Jokić proved it. Their hope, though, is they'll improve enough to crack the playoffs — a goal much more fitting now than a season ago.

If not this year, then next. But they're certain it's attainable now.

Birthday win or not, Wembanyama is fixated on that.

"One game after the other," he said. "Each one of these past games will be behind us, and we'll be focused on the next one."

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