Rookie big men tend to have a rough go of things at Summer League, and unsurprisingly, Victor Wembanyama didn’t have the smoothest debut out in the desert on Friday night. While there were plenty of flashes of the two-way brilliance that made Wembanyama the most hyped NBA Draft prospect since LeBron James, he struggled to efficiently score the basketball in the San Antonio Spurs’ 76-68 win over the Charlotte Hornets.
After the game, Wembanyama spoke about his debut, and while he said he was happy to pick up a win, he admitted that he wasn’t at his best as he prepares for the upcoming regular season.
That’s a 3 for Seth from the corner as his first ATL basket pic.twitter.com/Nfr5QykdU2
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 8, 2023
“Special moment, really special to wear that jersey for the first time,” Wembanyama said. “It’s really an honor. And, overall, I’m glad we won this game, there’s no better way to start for your premiere. Honestly, I didn’t really know what I was doing on the court tonight, I’m trying to learn for the next games, and the important [thing] is to be ready for the season.”
There were moments, particularly as a rim protector and a playmaker, where Wembanyama looked like a star in the making, even if he did find himself on the wrong end of a vicious throwdown by Kai Jones. Where he struggled was efficiently scoring the basketball, which is a common issue for players like him at Summer League, as guards don’t always get them the ball in spots that let them go to work and defenses are comfortable selling out to stop bigs from scoring. The good news for Wembanyama is that we have more than enough evidence to suggest that this was merely an off night, and he’ll get a chance to bounce back on Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Wembanyama went for nine points, eight rebounds, three assists, and five blocks, all while going 2-for-13 from the field against the Hornets.