Victor Wembanyama is supposed to be a matchup nightmare. At 7-foot-4, the San Antonio Spurs superstar can shoot over defenders, protect the rim and make perfectly reasonable basketball decisions look downright foolish. Good luck finding someone who can deal with all that.
Unless, apparently, you happen to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
I mean, Wemby is Wemby. There's really no stopping him outside of his own stamina and conditioning, but Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have put together some surprisingly impressive performances against the NBA's most unusual big man.
And the numbers are interesting enough to raise a question. Have the Cavaliers accidentally stumbled upon a formula for handling Wembanyama?
Jarrett Allen apparently didn't get the Wembanyama memo
Most centers face Wembanyama and immediately encounter a problem. He's taller, longer and capable of blocking shots that would be perfectly safe against practically anyone else. Allen, however, has enjoyed some of his best offensive performances in these matchups.
Across three regular-season meetings with Wembanyama, Allen has averaged 27.3 points and 14 rebounds while shooting with remarkable efficiency. Wembanyama has averaged 23 points and 12.7 rebounds in those same games. And Cleveland won all three.
That's quite a résumé against someone widely considered one of basketball's most intimidating defenders. Allen's success makes some basketball sense, too. He's mobile enough to move without the ball, athletic enough to finish above the rim and comfortable operating without demanding isolation opportunities.
Rather than trying to overpower Wembanyama, Allen can challenge him through movement, positioning and timely finishes. Wembanyama has averaged 23 points and 12.7 rebounds in those same games. And Cleveland won all three.
Evan Mobley brings another uncomfortable matchup
Then there's Mobley. In two regular-season meetings against Wembanyama, Mobley has averaged 22 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 64.3 percent from the field. He scored 28 points on 11-for-15 shooting in their February 2024 meeting.
For someone frequently criticized for his offensive assertiveness, that's an encouraging performance against an imposing opponent. Mobley also offers Cleveland something few teams can replicate.
He has the mobility to challenge Wembanyama away from the basket without surrendering the size necessary to compete inside. Pair that with Allen, and Cleveland can throw two unusually agile big men at San Antonio.
Neither player has to solve every problem individually. And that might be the most interesting part.
Cleveland's unusual frontcourt might be its greatest advantage
Now, before anyone starts celebrating Wembanyama's supposed kryptonite, there's an obvious catch, which is that we're discussing a very tiny sample. Wembanyama has still produced impressive numbers against Cleveland, and individual scoring averages don't establish who defended whom on every possession.
But their frontcourt does present an intriguing challenge. Cleveland has already demonstrated how its unique defensive versatility can create problems for Wembanyama, particularly when Allen and Mobley work together to disrupt San Antonio's offense.
Allen and Mobley possess the combination of size, athleticism and mobility that teams spend years trying to assemble. Against most opponents, those qualities are valuable. Against Wembanyama, they might be particularly useful.
And while the rest of the NBA continues searching for ways to make life difficult for San Antonio's towering superstar, Cleveland might already have two pretty good answers. Again, the Cavaliers haven't discovered some magical off switch for one of the league's most gifted players. But sometimes, the best way to handle a unicorn is to bring two unusually talented big men of your own.
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