How to Actually Guard the Unguardable: DeMarcus Cousins on Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama is doing something the NBA has never quite seen before—and that’s the problem for everyone trying to stop him. The 7’4″Spurs forward is averaging over 22 points and 12 rebounds during the playoffs, and he absolutely dismantled Oklahoma City’s defense in game one of the Western Conference Finals, dropping 41 points and pulling down 24 boards. So how do you even begin to slow down a guy who seems to have broken the game’s basic rules about size and skill?

Enter DeMarcus Cousins, who knows a thing or two about dominating in the paint. The former NBA All-Star laid out his defensive blueprint at LAX on Thursday, and it’s surprisingly straightforward—though he’s quick to admit it’s far easier said than done. Cousins calls Wembanyama“one of one”and something genuinely new to basketball, which coming from a guy who’s been battling elite big men for years, carries real weight.

Here’s the blueprint: get physical. Cousins emphasizes making the game uncomfortable for Wembanyama, pushing the limits of what’s legally allowed in today’s NBA. It’s a direct reference to what might be Wembanyama’s only real weakness—he’s listed at just 235 pounds, despite bulking up every year since being drafted first overall in 2023. More importantly, you can’t let him find his rhythm.“Crowding his space, crowding him to the point where he’s never really comfortable in his movements throughout the game,”Cousins explains. Keep him off-balance, deny him clean looks, make every possession a grind rather than a showcase.

The Spurs are currently locked in a heated series with the Thunder, who are favored to win it all. If Oklahoma City wants to advance to the Finals and face either the Knicks or the Cavs, they’d be wise to study this tape. Whether Isaiah Hartenstein and the Thunder’s other defenders can actually execute Cousins’game plan is another question entirely. But right now, in a season where Wembanyama is redefining what a generational talent can do, having a defensive strategy—even a tough one—is better than having none at all.