After a string of preseason performances that did nothing to temper expectations of top overall pick Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs rookie made his NBA debut Wednesday, finishing with 15 points in 23 minutes in San Antonio’s 126–119 loss to Dallas.
Three takeaways from Wembanyama’s debut:
A solid start ends with a strong finish
For three quarters, Wembanyama looked like a typical 19-year-old prospect. There were a handful of wow moments, from swatting away a Kyrie Irving 17-footer in the opening minutes to a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter. And there was some sloppiness; Wembanyama picked up two fouls in the first quarter that sent him to the bench. In the third, he collected another after clearing out Grant Williams with his forearm. An illegal screen a few possessions later sent Wembanyama back to the bench with his fourth.
In the fourth quarter, Wembanyama reminded everyone why he entered the league with so much hype. Reentering the game with 7:12 remaining, Wembanyama promptly finished an alley-oop. Two possessions later, he drilled a 25-footer. He drew a foul on Maxi Kleber on a dunk and, with four minutes left in a tie game, floated home a 12-footer over Williams.
Turnovers and poor execution cost the Spurs down the stretch—that, and some spectacular shots from Luka Dončić and Irving—but Wembanyama’s play on both ends (he added five rebounds and two blocks while connecting on six of his nine attempts) offered a pretty compelling preview of what’s to come.
Eric Gay/AP
The Spurs can do a lot with Wembanyama
There weren’t a lot of plays drawn up for Wembanyama. Some of that had to do with early foul trouble. He knocked down several shots on what looked like broken possessions and was often playing off dribble penetration.
But there’s so much the Spurs can do with Wembanyama. He looked comfortable off the dribble, no small thing for a 7'3" big man. He can be pushed off his spot in the post, but when he catches deep enough, as he did against Williams, few NBA big men can contest his jumper. In the first quarter, the Spurs ran a flawless double screen that left Wembanyama open above the three-point line. He knocked down that shot, and there’s no reason to think that if left open he won’t knock down many more.
Gregg Popovich said he wants Wembanyama to play freely, but as the season progresses look for the Spurs to exploit Wembanyama’s size and skill set in designed plays early and often.
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Zach Collins is a key to Wembanyama’s success
The Spurs know Wembanyama isn’t ready for the physical toll that comes with playing center. That’s why they have Collins, who shook off the injury-prone label last season to play 63 games in San Antonio. The Spurs saw enough to reward Collins with a two-year, $35 million extension this week.
Keeping Collins healthy will be critical. Collins had a strong opening night, finishing with 14 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 31 minutes. More important, he bodied up Dallas’s more physical bigs (Kleber, Dereck Lively II), freeing Wembanyama to play more of a free safety role defensively. Eventually Wembanyama will be a full-time center. But until his body can handle the rigors of the position, Collins will be the one to do it.
