Wembanyama is gradually expected to ramp up to his season average of just under 34 minutes per game. Even if the All-Star big man is unlikely to reach that figure against the Knicks, the 20-plus minutes he is expected to play should be highly impactful.

Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama returned from a 12-game absence dealing with a calf strain. He made it back in time for the NBA Cup semifinals. It was a good experience for the Spurs as they will likely punch their ticket to the playoffs for the first time with their young group this year.

By making it to the final, the Knicks and Spurs already have secured $212,373 per player from the NBA Cup prize money pool. The losing team on Tuesday gets nothing extra. Players

J.R. Smith says the only player that comes closest to Victor Wembanyama's size and skill is Kevin Durant, but even then KD looks like a baby compared to Wemby.

And that's perfectly fine. In fact, the NBA probably loves Wembanyama's one-sided bickering with Holmgren. And hopes the other party joins in sooner or later. After all, NBA fans love its theatrics almost as much as it loves the actual games being played.