When the San Antonio Spurs’ towering center Victor Wembenyama entered the Western Conference, it put teams on notice. Franchises wasted no time fortifying their frontlines in Wednesday night’s NBA Draft first round. While bigger isn’t always better, preparing for the future seemed prudent as these picks may prove pivotal in the years ahead. The Phoenix Suns could only watch from their war room as these teams potentially bolstered their defenses against the impending Wembenyama phenomenon.
Did these teams strategically prepare for Wembenyama’s imminent impact or simply draft out of necessity? Recognizing the draft’s shallow talent pool, acquiring size to counter Wembenyama in the coming years became a priority.