De'Aaron Fox said only Stephen Curry has the type of gravity Victor Wembanyama brings, after the Spurs eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers in five games.
De'Aaron Fox does not toss out Stephen Curry comparisons lightly. After Victor Wembanyama wrapped up the San Antonio Spurs' first-round series win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, he made one anyway.
Asked about Wembanyama's gravity and his impact on opposing offenses, Fox brought up Curry.
"It's like no one else," Fox said. "I mean, between probably him and Steph, like, those are the only guys that you see that have the type of gravity that they have, and it's amazing to play with."
Curry has spent years pulling defenses apart from beyond the 3-point line. Fox has guarded that gravity as often as anyone in the league. Putting Wembanyama in that company, on the other end of the floor, is quite the praise.
Wembanyama backed up the framing across the five-game series. The Trail Blazers shot 36.4% on 13.8 attempts per game defended by Wembanyama, 11.5 percentage points below their normal averages on those looks. He finished with 16 blocks, including six in the closeout 114-95 win at Frost Bank Center. His 14 rebounds in Game 5 tied for the game high, and he limited the Trail Blazers to 38 points in the paint on 19-of-38 interior shooting.
The series put Wembanyama in historic statistical company. He became the third player since blocks became an official statistic in 1973-74 to average 20 points and four blocks over his first four career playoff games, joining Brook Lopez and Alonzo Mourning.
"That was just one example of how a series can go, and that's a good way to start the playoffs," Wembanyama said. "We gained experience. And I'm still hungry for even better matchups."
The comparison Fox drew goes deeper than the box score. Curry's gravity shows up in the space he creates for teammates, in defenders closing out a step early, and in help rotations arriving a beat too late. Wembanyama's gravity works the other way. Drives stall before they reach the rim. Lob threats disappear. Shooters pull up early in transition. Possessions that would normally end at the basket end as kick-outs to contested 3-pointers instead.
Portland's offense in the series showed it. The Trail Blazers shot 35.1% from the field and 23.4% from 3-point range in Game 5. Across the series, they were forced into a steady diet of perimeter shots and floaters, with rim attempts shut down by Wembanyama's length and timing.
Fox played a pivotal role in closing Game 5 with 21 points and nine assists while shooting 8-of-14 from the field. Regardless, he remains grateful to have a defensive anchor like Wembanyama that challenges opponents.
"It's amazing to play with," he said.
The Spurs await the winner of the Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves first-round series, which Minnesota leads 3-2. Either matchup presents a greater challenge than Portland. That is the kind of test Wembanyama said he wants.