Phoenix Suns’ Dillon Brooks boldly claims he has the defensive blueprint to contain Spurs’ star Victor Wembanyama.
SAN ANTONIO — Phoenix Suns’ Dillon Brooks did not hold back when asked about his thoughts on defending San Antonio Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama.
Speaking with YouTube influencer N3on, Brooks was blunt, stating he can handle Wemby with ease and that Wemby panics when Brooks applies defensive pressure.
“I have his number. Go check that up, and he knows it too,” he said. “That’s the one guy in the NBA that I have his number and everybody is taking that blueprint at guarding him.”
Brooks did not stop there; he explained his approach to defending Wemby.
“You never guard him with a big,” he said. “You got to put a guard on him. Crawl up all in his space. Guard him tight the whole time and not let him set up dribbles and then keep him away from the rim.”
Said Brooks: “[He] panics.”
The Suns forward added that Phoenix has already beaten the Spurs twice this season.
Head-to-head, Brooke and Wembanyama have met seven times, with Brooks owning a 5-2 record against the Spurs big man in the regular season.
Wembanyama is averaging 16.7 points per game against Brooks, while Brooks averages 9.4 in the seven matches. Also, Wemby outrebounds Brooks by a wide margin, averaging 12.0 rebounds per game, while Brooks averages 3.1.
But which player makes the bigger impact?
Wemby, in just two seasons, has proven he can impact the floor on both ends of the court, averaging 22.9 points, 3.4 blocks, and 10.9 rebounds. Brooks is at 14.7 points per game, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.2 blocks in nine seasons.
In addition, Brooks is well into his NBA career and has figured out how to better deal with the NBA level of play. Wemby, however, has dealt with injuries early in his career, but is proving this season that, with time and added physicality, he will be able to handle defenses (as Brooks touts) with ease.
The Suns and Spurs will next play on Feb. 19 in Austin. Let’s see how Wembanyama responds on the floor when Brooks tries this defensive approach.