Charles Barkley Delivers Brutal Verdict on Victor Wembanyama Over Karl-Anthony Towns Matchup

The stage was set for Victor Wembanyama to shine on basketball's biggest stage. In just his third NBA season, he won the Western Conference Finals MVP award, leading the Spurs to their first NBA Finals appearance in over a decade. But for him, the opening two games have brought nothing but disappointment.

The Frenchman was the biggest talking point in both of their opening losses, both of which came at the Frost Bank Center in front of the San Antonio faithful. And Charles Barkley seems to have figured out where the Knicks have found their antidote to Wembanyama's effectiveness.

"Wemby's in shock right now," Barkley said on Inside the NBA. "It's probably been a long time since he got his a** kicked like this. … Wemby's spinning. He needs to run the ball over the place. It's a shock to his system. … He is so flustered right now. … He's 22. He's gonna own the league soon. But right now, big KAT is just taking his a** to the woodshed."

Karl-Anthony Towns has proven to be the more efficient center in these two games.

Comparing both star centers, Towns has arguably put up the more efficient statistics in the finals. Towns is averaging 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks, while shooting an efficient 66.7% from the field overall.

Meanwhile, Wembanyama may be averaging more points and blocks with 27.5 points and 3.5 blocks, but his inconsistency in knocking down shots is what's hurting the team. Wemby is only shooting 39.5% overall.

It's also worth noting that Towns' success from the perimeter forces Wembanyama to step outside rather than focus on protecting the paint.

No one else on the Spurs can consistently defend KAT's jump shot. With the paint left wide open, the rest of the Knicks can attack the basket without having to worry about the towering Frenchman waiting inside.

In Game 2, KAT scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while shooting 66% from the field. Wembanyama, meanwhile, despite scoring 29 points on 52% shooting, failed to capitalize on the moments that could have made the game his.

Shaquille O'Neal Calls Out Victor Wembanyama For His Comments After Game 2

While dealing with a loss, let alone two consecutive losses, in the NBA Finals might be tough to overcome, Shaquille O'Neal wasn't a fan of how Victor Wembanyama is handling the situation.

During a postgame press conference interview, Wemby claimed to have forgotten what took place in the final few possessions of the game.

"I'm still very blurry, and that's the whole problem," Wembanyama said. "I need to have more poise, more control over the game. That's the general image."

O'Neal believes that Wembanyama shouldn't be making such comments, as it shows signs of cracks in his game. Shaq would've wanted for Wemby to reassure Spurs fans instead of making excuses.

"As the leader, you should probably say, 'It's on me,'" O'Neal said. "Don’t say things are blurry. If I'm anybody on the New York Knicks, I'm coming at his head (in Game 3). That sounds like he's flustered. You can't be flustered. I know you're down 0-2. But, listen, as that guy on that team, you just gotta step up. … Don't say things like, 'Things got blurry.'"

With the score tied at 104 in the final seconds, he had a chance to put San Antonio ahead but threw an upcourt pass that struck Stephon Castle, leading to a crucial turnover. Jalen Brunson capitalized by drawing a foul and making a free throw to break the tie. Then, trailing by one with 9.5 seconds left, Wembanyama had one final opportunity but missed a 20-foot jumper at the buzzer, allowing the Knicks to head to Madison Square Garden with a 105-104 victory.

In short, it was his fault his team lost, and he knows that. How he reacts remains to be seen.

Game 3 is set to take place on Monday. The Spurs are now in a tight spot. Now that the New York Knicks will have home court advantage in the next couple of games, they have the opportunity to sweep the Spurs.

That's given if San Antonio doesn't learn from its mistakes in the past couple of games.