NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal reveals one adjustment Victor Wembanyama must make before Game 2

The New York Knicks kept their dominant postseason roll intact, pulling off a 105-95 road win over the San Antonio Spurs in 2026 NBA Finals Game 1 on Wednesday night. 

The Knicks overcame a 14-point deficit in the third quarter, played high-intensity defense, and secured the win with an 11-0 run to close the game. Victor Wembanyama's final stat line and his struggles away from the paint made it a very heartbreaking loss for San Antonio at home

Wemby posted a team-high 26 points and 12 rebounds in his NBA Finals debut, but shot just 6-of-21 from the field, including 2-of-9 from three and turned the ball over six times. 

The Knicks played great defense and kept Wembanyama away from the basket, forcing him to take tough outside shots instead of easy layups and dunks. He only got five shots near the rim all night. Even the 22-year-old center himself didn't sugarcoat it postgame, saying, "I was bad tonight."

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal didn’t mince his words while criticising Wemby’s outing. Appearing on ESPN's Inside the NBA postgame, O'Neal went straight at both Wembanyama and head coach Mitch Johnson. 

The four-time champion first placed the blame on the coaching staff, saying, "Coach has to get Victor the ball more inside." 

Then he turned to Wembanyama directly, adding, "For Victor, you gotta play better. The way he played, not good enough. 6/21 is not going to get it done. 10 3s is not going to get it done."

The numbers backed up O'Neal's criticism. The Knicks' defense worked because they kept Wemby away from the basket, forcing him to take outside shots. According to the NBA legend, Wembanyama needs to stop settling for jumpers to fix this. If he gets into the paint, it will force the Knicks to defend him closer to the rim. 

He added, "You have to make some mental adjustments and say 'we cannot lose Game 2.'"

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson echoed a similar sentiment after the game, acknowledging the team needs to get Wembanyama "moving in space and towards the rim" through rolls and transition.

It remains to be seen how the coach adjusts things for Wemby in Game 2, which tips off Friday at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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