Homegren has played in the finals now, and Wenban Yama has not even entered the playoffs

On June 15, on the NBA's stage full of competition and miracles, the growth trajectory of young players is often amazing. On the 2025 finals stage, Chet Homgren led the Oklahoma City Thunder to overcome all obstacles, just one step away from the championship, while his No. 1 pick Victor Vinbanyama has not tasted the playoffs yet. The two genius insiders who have been repeatedly compared are now clearly visible.

Homegren's rise is a perfect example of the Thunder's road to reconstruction. At the 2022 draft, this unicorn player with 2.13 meters tall but with defending skills joined the Thunder as the second place, forming the core of the youth army with Alexander and Giddy. Although he was reimbursed for injury in the rookie season, after returning in 2023-24, he quickly showed the potential of a top defensive core, averaging 17.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game, and his three-point shooting percentage was as high as 39%. This season has ushered in a qualitative leap, averaging 21.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.1 blocks in the playoffs, becoming the first player to score 30+10+5 blocks in the division finals after Duncan. His coverage area on the defensive end and spatial attributes on the offensive end perfectly fit modern basketball's ultimate imagination of the No. 5 position.

In contrast, Wenban Yama's situation is a bit embarrassing. When the Spurs were selected as the No. 1 pick, the French genius was hailed as "epoch-making talent". The 2.26-meter-like height combined with the defender-like control technology shocked the league. The rookie season averaged 18.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, but the team has always been at the bottom of the West. Although the personal data has increased to 22.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.2 blocks this season, the Spurs' lineup construction has been significantly lagging behind, and the problem of lack of qualified point guards and peripheral shooters has never been solved. When the Homgren experiences the finals spotlight, Vinban Yama's offseason has started a month earlier.

The core factor in this gap lies in the differences in team building philosophy. Thunder general manager Presti showed textbook-level reconstruction wisdom: sending George Westbrook away in 2019 for a large number of draft picks, choosing Bazley in 2020, getting Gidey in 2021, winning Homgren in 2022, and choosing Wallace in 2023, every step is accurately on the pace of reconstruction. They used Alexander as the core to pull up and paired with high-quality role players such as Dolte and Caruso to build a system of balanced offense and defense. After the Spurs won the Vinban Yama, they still adhered to the traditional "slow training" strategy. Popovich even publicly stated that "winning the championship is not the goal at this stage". This conservative attitude directly leads to lag in lineup upgrades. The technical characteristics of the two players are also magnified in different systems. Homgren's 3D attributes (three points + defense) are like fish in the Thunder's five-outside system. His pick-and-roll external bullets can perfectly open up space, while on the defensive end, there are external gates such as Alexander to relieve pressure. Wenban Yama was forced to take on too many ball-holding tasks, and her three-point shooting percentage of 34.5% was difficult to support the positioning of the space-type No. 5 position. Average of 3.1 turnovers per game further exposed the lack of ball handling ability. Data shows that when Wenban Yama played center, the Spurs lost 8.3 points per 100 rounds, which reflects the serious imbalance in the lineup configuration.

Environmental factors cannot be ignored. Although Oklahoma City, where the Thunder is located, is a small football market, it has the most fanatical fan base in the league. The sound waves created during the playoffs even cause communication barriers to opponents. San Antonio has lost serious stars in recent years. Duncan has only entered the playoffs twice in the seven years since his retirement, and his attractiveness to free agents has dropped significantly. More importantly, the differences in the medical team. Thunder sports medicine director Donnie Strack has helped stars such as Paul George to return to the top, and the Spurs medical team has repeatedly caused controversy due to misdiagnosis in recent years, which is particularly important for Giant players who need meticulous maintenance.

From the perspective of development trajectory, Homgren is moving along the Nowitzki-like path - he suffered severe injuries in the early stage but completed Nirvana, and grew into the core of the offense and defense integration in the mature system. Wenban Yama, on the other hand, faced the dilemma of O'Neal's rookie, and her personal talent was limited by team building. It is interesting to note that when the Magic quickly equip O'Neal with helpers such as Hardaway and Scott, the Spurs seemed to be more persistent in copying the "slow-raising" model of the Duncan era. Whether this strategy is still applicable in today's fast-paced league is questionable.

In terms of future prospects, Homgren is expected to touch the championship trophy this season. At the age of 23, he has already entered the league's best defensive player discussion. Wenban Yama may have to wait for another 1-2 seasons before the Spurs strengthen the back line through draft or trade before they can truly unleash their terrifying potential. But the basketball world is never a linear development story. Durant had to make the finals for five years before he entered the finals for the first time, and James did not realize his dream of winning the championship until he transferred to the Heat. The top priority for Wenban Yama is to avoid falling into the "data brush" question like Towns, and show true leadership skills in the next season.

The phased gap in this "unicorn derby" essentially reflects the profound changes in the NBA team building philosophy. In an era dominated by data analysis, the Thunder proved that accurate lineup matching is easier to succeed than blindly accumulating talents, and the Spurs' "cultivation system" strategy is facing severe challenges. Perhaps as Jerry West said: "Superstars need a suitable ecosystem" The different situations of Homgren and Vinban Yama will become a classic research case for team reconstruction in the next decade. Fortunately for fans, we are witnessing the growth of two epoch-making people, whose stories have just opened the first chapter.