Knicks excited — and curious — to face Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama at the Garden

GREENBURGH — Josh Hart hasn’t studied Victor Wembanyama — or at least hadn’t as of Tuesday morning — any more than most observers who had just seen a flash of a highlight on television. But he saw enough to know what would happen if he finds himself tasked with defending the San Antonio Spurs’ 7-5 rookie Wednesday night.

“I’ll tell you what,” said Hart, who at 6-4 has inherited the Knicks’ backup power forward role this season. “It don’t matter what I do. He’s gonna shoot over me. It don’t matter. I don’t know. I guess try to make it physical. We’ll see. We’ll see what the matchups are. But yeah, he’s one of those guys where, it don’t matter if you’re there, you’re not there.”

Wembanyama may be the most hyped — and unique — prospect to enter the NBA. The French 19-year-old has already opened eyes, even beyond expectations at times. He has had nights like the 38-point, 10-rebound effort that had the Suns’ Kevin Durant dismissing the early comparisons people have made to him. And there are nights like Monday, when he shot just 3-for-12 as the Spurs were demolished by 41 points at Indiana.

The Knicks get their first up-close look Wednesday night and Wembanyama gets his first look at the Madison Square Garden stage. The Knicks may be impressed with the early returns from the rookie but are focused on their own game.

“I’m going to play him just like he’s one of those Kristaps Porzingis kind of [players],” Mitchell Robinson said after Monday’s game. “Him. Who else play like that? Bol Bol? Just gotta mix them two together. I kind of got a feel how it should go. He’s going to be on the perimeter a lot. I’ve just got to move my feet. So just gotta get ready for that.”

Coach Tom Thibodeau wasn’t saying who would get the first shot at defending Wembanyama. At 7-1 and athletic, Robinson will likely draw the assignment, along with Knicks backup center Isaiah Hartenstein. Julius Randle and Hart could take a turn. But, right now, there is no natural matchup for a player with Wembanyama’s size and his eight-foot wingspan (for comparison, six inches longer than the wingspan for Porzingis or Ralph Sampson). 

“He’s been very impressive.,” Thibodeau said. “Obviously, was highly touted coming in, and he’s certainly lived up to the billing. So unique, obviously the size, but every aspect – his demeanor, the skill set, how he interacts with his teammates, makes other people better, And then that size, it’s a lot. 

“I think it’s hard to [compare him to anyone]. You look at different aspects and say, ‘Oh, that reminds me of this guy a little bit, that guy a little bit.’ But he’s unique unto himself. And I think it’s the evolution of the big man, too. It’s like, they’re like guards in terms of, he can handle the ball, he can shoot the ball. There’s not anything that he can’t do. And, I had the opportunity to coach Yao [Ming] in Houston. He was very skilled and [had] great touch, but not as athletic. But we were amazed at the things he did. Just to see all all the different aspects of his game, is very impressive.”

“I think it’s a good challenge for us,” Hartenstein said. “I think the length he has, the different things he can do on the court we haven’t seen in the NBA before.  It’s gonna be a good challenge for me and Mitch. I think we’re excited. Me and Mitch don’t back down to really anybody, so we’re both excited for that matchup.”

Victor Wembanyama’s averages through the first eight games of his NBA career:

Minutes: 28.9

Points: 19.4

FG%: 46.2

3P%: 32.4

Rebounds: 8.4

Assists: 1.7

Steals: 1.1

Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.