Everyone settle down.
Victor Wembanyama didn’t have the debut everyone thought he would in his first Summer League game. He shot 2-of-13, only hit one three pointer, and concerns about his conditioning came up when he looked tired.
But if you’re looking at that and going to Twitter to call him a bust — yeah, I see you out there, especially after he got posterized by Kai Jones — you’re either trolling or just being ridiculous.
Because I saw some things that proved he’s got the stuff to be a star down the road. And even if he didn’t drop 20 points on the Hornets, there were still things to love.
Let’s run through some reasons why this was a better-than-you-think debut:
1
He's only 19 years old
Let’s start with the obvious: He’s only 19 and he’s got plenty of growing — not physically, I imagine? — to do. He’s not going to be Giannis Antetokounmpo from Day 1 (even Giannis wasn’t MVP Giannis from Year 1!). Given that he needs to put on some weight and work on the aforementioned conditioning, his potential could come down the road.
just remember 7-3 1/2 center Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs is only 19 years old when you evaluate his progress after one game in Vegas summer league. didn;t dazzle offensively but had five blocked shots on defense in rookie debut.
— Dick Weiss (@HoopsWeiss) July 8, 2023
2
He was a nightmare on the defense end for the Hornets
I mean, what do you do with this:
Block the shot.
Push it in transition.
Drop the dime.Victor Wembanyama making an impact right away during his #NBA2KSummerLeague debut on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/CCa604r02w
— NBA (@NBA) July 8, 2023
Or this?
Victor Wembanyama with his 3RD BLOCK in the first half 🔥pic.twitter.com/o4PBsS9Ekk
— Backcourt Alerts (@BackcourtAlerts) July 8, 2023
At the very least, he has the chance to have Rudy Gobert-esque impact in the paint this year.
3
His ball-handling looked so smooth
He could have had more than three dimes.
Folks, he's 7 foot 3 inches, 19 years old with a between the legs/cross over combo to a sweet dime.
We…as a species…have never seen ANYTHING like this, in terms of Atheletics.
Wembanyama is the Evolution of The Game, not just Basketball. All…the…Games. https://t.co/jpqusFG6Od
— DFC (Dirty Flirty Curty) (@CurtisHiggs1701) July 8, 2023
Victor Wembanyama DIME to Dominick Barlow 🔥👀
(via @TomerAzarly) pic.twitter.com/Qc8Ou605jh
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) July 8, 2023
Shot doesn’t go down but Wembanyama already displaying the opportunities he can open for others pic.twitter.com/thwpmgiTET
— Armchair Scout (@_ArmchairScout) July 8, 2023
4
His shot will come
Ignore the airball you’re seeing everywhere. We know he has a terrific shot. Even if NBA defenses adjust to that, we also know players take a billion shots to hone that skill. He’ll be fine.
Victor Wembanyama shot 2 for 13 in his #NBA2KSummerLeague debut with 8 rebounds and 5 blocks 😬 pic.twitter.com/eq5LasPdhP
— The Sportsletter (@TheSportsletter) July 8, 2023
