Spurs' Victor Wembanyama shows flashes in NBA Summer League debut

All eyes were on San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama whenhe made his NBA Summer League debut on Friday night.

In a game against No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller and theCharlotte Hornets, Wembanyama was terrific on the defensive end,blocking five shots and altering many others.

Offensively, he struggled, finishing with 9 points on 2-for-13shooting from the field (including a pair of air-balled three-pointattempts in the fourth quarter). He also chipped in 8 rebounds and3 assists in the Spurs' 76-68 win over the Hornets.

While the packed crowd at Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegaswanted to see Wemby take over the game and dominate, he was oftenlooking to pass and set up his new teammates. After the game,Wembanyama admitted that he has a lot to learn.

"Honestly, I didn't really know what I was doing on the courttonight, but I’m trying to learn," he told reporters.

It's clear that Wembanyama needs to bulk up, and working withthe Spurs' strength and conditioning staff should help him in thatdepartment.

Thoughts on Victor Wembanyama's SummerLeague debut? 🤔Full Stats 📊• 9 PTS• 8 REB• 5 BLK• 3 AST• 2/13 FGM• 1/6 3PM• 27 MIN pic.twitter.com/nTgAIjtbB8

— BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) July 8, 2023

The game was likely the most-watched Summer League contest ever,and while Wemby didn't dominate, he did show glimpses ofbrilliance.

“All in all, I think he did a good job," Spurs Summer Leaguecoach Matt Nielsen said. "You can see his basketball IQ iselite."

The hype around Wembanyama is largely due to his long-termupside. We've never seen a player of his size with his skill-set,so there's no question he has a ton of potential. And it's clearthat his defense should immediately translate to the NBA level. Onthe offensive end, he needs some work, but he'll be in good handswith Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and his staff.

The Spurs' next Summer League game is Sunday against thePortland Trail Blazers, who may not play No. 3 overall pick ScootHenderson after he sustained a shoulder injury on Friday againstthe Houston Rockets.

Wemby is only expected to play one or two more games, then theSpurs will likely shut him down to ensure that he stayshealthy.