Victor Wembanyama can only be blunt about the highly publicized showcase he made with the San Antonio Spurs to open up their Summer League outing this Friday night.
“I honestly didn’t know what I was doing on the court tonight, but it’s to learn for the next games, and the important thing is to be ready for the season,” Wembanyama said, per Tom Orsborn of San Antonio Express-News.
A jam-packed, 17,500 spectators filled the Thomas & Mack Center just to capture the first official image of Wembanyama’s wonder in the NBA hardwood, but their towering expectations of a sparkling performance weren’t able to get entirely met by the French wunderkind to start.
In the wake of the intensifying coverage, Wembanyama registered an underwhelming stat line offensively. In 27 minutes of play, he just poured a lowly nine points to go with eight boards and six assists. He bricked almost all of his shots en route to an erratic 2-of-13 shooting.
Horrible on offense, Wembanyama still made sure to bounce back on the opposite department as his five huge blocks have flashed the defensive potential he possesses as a generational prospect which impacted San Antonio’s 76-68 dub over Charlotte.
No. 2 pick Brandon Miller might have seized the showdown between them after his 16-point, 11-board double-double, but Wembanyama is more than grateful that they were able to get it done to help the Spurs etch a 3-0 card since their unblemished California Classic participation.
“It was a special moment, really special to wear that jersey for the first time, really an honor,” said Wembanyama.
“I’m glad we won this game,” he added. “There is no better way to start for a premier.”
Wembanyama admitted that there could be several factors that may have affected his rusty scoring which includes their late warm-up session due to a lengthy Portland Trail Blazers-Houston Rockets showdown prior to their bout with the Hornets.
But he also revealed the hardships of enduring fatigue and low stamina. The matchup with the Hornets is just his first official game since his campaign with the Metropolitans 92 ended in the French League Finals last June.
“I think there is a lot of conditioning to do to play in an 82-game season,” he said. “We run a lot. It is really exhausting. Even though the game was 40 minutes tonight, when I stepped out, I was always tired and exhausted. I think there is a lot of conditioning to do.”
It is truly a zigzag beginning for Wembanyama, but the only way is up for him and his bright future as the NBA’s latest sensation.
Day 1 is officially in the books, and there are still thousands of pages that can be written with such indelible and special stories for the newest San Antonio cornerstone.
“That’s his first hit out with us and he hasn’t played with those guys either, so I think all in all, he did a good job,” said Spurs Summer League head coach Matt Nielsen.
