Knicks Have Wemby Right Where They Want Him After Game 4

Game 4 will likely change Knicks' dynamic with Victor Wembanyama. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

There are plenty of overall impacts caused by the Knicks' Game 4 comeback, like the fact that they're now just one win away from taking the title. But a few individual players are facing unique effects from Wednesday as well, including Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.

The Frenchman picked up his third flagrant point of these playoffs in Game 4 after his elbow on Karl-Anthony Towns. This now leaves him facing an automatic suspension should he pick up another flagrant foul for the rest of this series.

The significance of this for New York cannot be overstated, even if Wembanyama doesn't commit another flagrant in the Finals.

Wemby won't be the same vs. Knicks now as he worries about flagrant suspension

San Antonio's big man has pushed the envelope this series, as the refs are showing that they're prone to swallowing their whistles. He's not just banging bodies in normal situations. Wembanyama is also adding extra contact in many little moments. This includes extending his arms to push players on (illegal) screens, or being overly aggressive away from the ball with fewer eyes on him.

That lenience makes a difference for both teams. It allows the Spurs to embrace bully ball and get better opportunities on both sides of the court. The additional hits are surely felt by the Knicks players, who also have to manage their frustrations or risk getting called for technical fouls.

However, Wembanyama suddenly can't keep playing as he has been. Game 4 showed he's totally invincible with his flagrant call, so he can't feel like he'll get away with everything anymore.

Then there's the fact he'll have to tone down his aggression. Any extracurricular activity that leads to a flagrant call now means he'll miss Game 6 or 7. Given how much the young star has made it known he wants to win a championship, he's likely not going to jeopardize this opportunity, especially since it's not guaranteed he will ever get back to this stage.

In fact, Wembanyama said as much after the Game 4 loss. He noted he's "gonna be a little bit more careful" with his style of play given suspension is a real threat. While he maintained it won't change "much," this shows the flagrant element is fully on his mind, and players being worried about an outside factor like this when on the floor is often a recipe for a worse performance.

Victor Wembanyama was asked if his style of play physicality would change now being a flagrant foul away from a suspension in the NBA Finals

"Of course I'm gonna be a little bit more careful, but it's not gonna change much" pic.twitter.com/iFbY03cpNV

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 11, 2026

Wemby pulling back on his physicality only benefits the Knicks. That means fewer hits to recover from, fewer frustrations to manage on the mental warfare side of things, and reduced advantages for the Spurs on plays where Wembanyama's contact is making a difference.

The latter certainly came into play on the final sequence of Game 4, as Stephon Castle got wide open for what would've been the game-winner thanks to an illegal Wembanyama screen on Josh Hart.

That's not even to mention Wemby may be less inclined to fight for loose balls or rebounds, as any errant contact—intentional or not—could directly lead to suspension. He's surely going to realize that New York's players will likely embellish any time he touches them moving forward in hopes of another flagrant.

That could make him more timid, which would be a blow to San Antonio if its freak of nature is holding himself back when the ball is up for grabs. This could especially hurt the Spurs and Wembanyama on the boards or as a rim attacker, since those are now both dangerous spots for Wemby to try to muscle himself into easier opportunities.

Many are upset that Wembanyama's unnecessary hits this series haven't already led to a suspension. But the big man now playing in an elimination game without being as aggressive as he'd like is potentially even better for the Knicks than if he sat out a previous night.