'You don’t know what you’ve gotten into': Pacers preparing for 7-4 Victor Wembanyama

INDIANAPOLIS -- Even before rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama had logged a single minute in the NBA, opponents were going to extreme lengths to combat the anticipation of a size and skillset the league has never seen. Leading up to the 7-foot-4 Frenchman’s debut last month against the Mavericks, Dallas coaches and trainers were using lengthy foam devices akin to hockey goalie leg pads to mimic Wembanyama’s 8-foot wingspan.

“He’s a freak,” Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin told IndyStar this week.

As much of a cop-out as that description may seem – one that doesn’t fully capture Webanyama’s already polished skills nor the unique physical specimen the 19-year-old is – Toppin's Pacers teammates and head coach struggled to put into words just what and who they have waiting for them Monday for the San Antonio Spurs’ visit to Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

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Imagine a player with the height of 90s-era Pacers big-man Rik Smits who weighs 6 pounds fewer than current Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith (209 vs. 215), sporting a size 20.5 shoe and can do, well, just about anything you could imagine on the court (and several things you can't).

Sprinting full-court for a transition dunk? Seemingly effortless leaps from the edge of the circle in the paint? Bringing the ball up like your prototypical point guard and nailing a pull-up 3-pointer? Posting up on the block and finishing with a reverse layup one possession and then knocking down a mid-range jumper the next?

The full range of offensive talents were spread throughout Wembanyama’s highlight reel from his 38-point performance Thursday on the road against the Phoenix Suns – in a game where the Spurs led by as many as 27 but then had surrendered it all with over four minutes to go. In San Antonio’s second game in three nights against Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and company, the Spurs looked to the player on their roster Phoenix coaches had almost certainly been locked in on in the leadup to the two-game series.

The rookie took over anyway, scoring 10 of his team’s next 12 points as part of a 12-0 run that helped secure their mid-week sweep in Arizona. Through five games (ahead of Sunday’s home matchup against Toronto before the Spurs’ quick trip to Indianapolis), Wembanyama is averaging 20.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game for Gregg Popovich’s Spurs (3-2).

“He’s everything that was advertised, in terms of impact, skills, ridiculous highlights and things we’ve just never seen before,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “Most of it looks indescribable to me, and I haven’t even seen him in-person yet.

“I’ve heard (Miami Heat coach) Eric Spoelstra say that, until you see this guy in-person, you don’t really know what you’ve gotten into.”

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Carlisle said that he would watch full-length Spurs game film in order to begin his own preparation for Monday night’s matchup. Several Pacers starters told IndyStar they hadn’t begun to think about the best way to stop the offensive force that is the spindly Frenchman who made his professional basketball debut when he was just 15 and played four years in various levels of junior and senior French professional basketball leagues.

Perhaps lucky for the Pacers coaching staff, Indiana starting center Myles Turner spent some time working out with the future No. 1 draft pick ahead of the 2022-23 season. The important thing to note, said the big man who is five inches shorter and 41 pounds heavier than his likely foil in Monday’s matchup, is to not to think the bulk and force Wembanyama lacks in the paint will keep him from being a factor.

“He’s got all this (expletive) right here,” Turner told IndyStar, referencing Wembanyama’s impressive reach. “Against some guys, it’s just a matter of strength, but people don’t realize that if you hit him, he can still recover.”

And then Turner mimicked a nasty swat.

“I didn’t think he’d figure it out this fast,” Turner continued. “I thought it’d take him a couple weeks.”

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“It sure has to be (different),” the Pacers center said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’ll be interesting to say the least.”

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Turner’s front-court mate Toppin was less methodical in this thinking.

“I mean … he’s, what, 7-foot-5?” asked the 6-foot-9 power forward. “That’s just crazy to think about.

“We’re gonna have to jump really, really high to try and block his shots.”

Toppin then realized how silly that sounded, even if said somewhat in jest.

“He even makes (6-foot-10 Kevin Durant) look little standing next to him.”

For Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers All-Star point guard feels more admiration and excitement in Monday night’s challenge stopping what Carlisle called “a new type of player.” Exhibiting every bit of the youthful exuberance you’d expect of a 23-year-old, but with the touch of an old soul who genuinely appreciates the league’s history and its legends, Haliburton noted just “how excited” he was for the physical and mental challenge Wembanyama poses.

“He’s bringing an element to the game of basketball that we’ve never seen before. He’s just a generational talent coming into the league,” he said. “You don’t want to put real expectations on him, but you also don’t want to say ‘nothing is surprising’ because of who he is.

“How could you expect (almost) 40 points from a rookie?”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers: Here's what Pacers think of facing Victor Wembanyama