As happens every year, the Indiana Pacers play the San Antonio Spurs twice, once at home and once on the road. Both teams have fielded relatively good teams over the past twenty years, with both making multiple Finals runs (although the Spurs have won five of theirs, and the Pacers are 0-2), but this iteration is arguably more fun than ever.
The two will face each other for the first time in San Antonio on January 6th, 2027, and again on March 25th, 2027, in Indiana.
These are both teams that love to run in transition, prioritizing fast-break points and threes generated by their downhill guards. Unfortunately for Indiana, though, while the role players line up pretty evenly, there is a demonically tall, gangly, francophone basketball sociopath on the other side of the court that they do not have an answer for.
Ivica Zubac is a decent matchup for Victor Wembanyama, holding up with all the strength and fortitude to prevent offensive rebounds or attacks to the rim. When Wemby becomes a more perimeter-oriented option, dragging the lumbering Croatian away from the basket, Pascal Siakam can function as a Giannis-lite defensively, using active hands to make the Frenchman's life hell.
It's not that the Pacers don't have options; it's simply that neither is good.
In that description alone, Wembanyama will get his threes and drives against Zubac and his post-up chances and offensive rebounds when Siakam plays the small-ball five. He is, as everyone has said hundreds of times already, the ultimate matchup nightmare.
Even if the trade for Zubac has worked out as well as one could reasonably expect, no one can handle Wemby.
However, luckily for Indiana, basketball is a team sport, and there are ways to overcome this. As with most things Pacers, it starts with Tyrese Haliburton.
Beating the French Freak in French Lick
If there is a single flaw in Victor Wembanyama's game, it is that his conditioning prevents him from playing full games. Despite winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2026, Wemby played just 29.2 minutes per contest.
While part of this comes down to the fact that the Spurs were resting him as much as possible en route to a 62-win season, he was only able to muster 34 minutes a game in the playoffs, when everything was on the line.
The Pacers do not have to plan for a playoff matchup against San Antonio unless they expect to make the Finals immediately, which may be a bit much to ask, but they can explore their options.
Does the never-ending running that the Pacers do tire him out? If not, can Indiana take an approach that only the Minnesota Timberwolves managed to employ last year and just attack the rim nonstop, even if Wemby ends up with ridiculous block numbers? Can they simply exhaust him by forcing the ball to him instead of giving him easier catch-and-shoot opportunities?
The answers they get in handling Wembanyama will likely enable similar strategies to deal with the big men options in the East.
From Karl-Anthony Towns to Giannis Antetokounmpo to Joel Embiid, Indiana will have to get used to handling size.
Victor Wembanyama is the biggest around. If they can handle him, they can handle anyone.
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