Victor Wembanyama admitted he "didn't know" what he was doing after his difficult NBA Summer League debut for the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.
Wembanyama shot just 2-13 from the field at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas in a 76-68 win over the Charlotte Hornets, finishing with nine points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes on the floor.
While there were glimpses of the skills that made the 7ft 4in Frenchman the most hyped drafted prospect in a generation - impressing on the defensive end with five authoritative blocks both at the rim and beyond the arc, he struggled badly at the other end of the court, with his jump shot wayward and the Hornets proving a tough physical matchup.
Wembanyama learned plenty from his first night on an NBA court after being selected first overall by the Spurs in Brooklyn last month, but there were moments he would prefer to forget.
The Spurs' Summer League opener saw the top pick in Wembanyama pitted against the man selected immediately after him, Brandon Miller, who got the better of the battle with 16 points and he left the Frenchman on his back with a slick double move – which was called a foul as Miller's arm glanced Wembanyama's chin in the process.
Wembanyama also suffered the ignominy of being posterized by Hornets power forward Kai Jones, who leapt high above the big man at the rim to slam down an alley-oop that stunned the sell-out crowd of 17,500 that was in attendance for the first-overall pick's NBA bow.
Wembanyama was philosophical about his night's work when he spoke to reporters after the game, sharing his delight at wearing the Spurs jersey in action for the first time while also reflecting critically on his performance and accepting he has plenty of fitness work to do.
"Special moment," he said. "Really special to wear that jersey for the first time. It was a real honour and I'm really glad we won this game. There's no better way to start for a premiere.
"Honestly, I don't really know what I was doing on the court tonight, but I'm trying to be ready for the next games and the important (thing) is to be ready for the season. The biggest thing I've got to do is be ready to react to the plays that are called by the point guard and stay connected.
"As a team, it wasn't our best shooting game, but it's Summer League and we've got to adapt and it's just the way it is.
"I think there is a lot of conditioning to do to play in an 82-game season, especially with the play style. We run a lot and it is really exhausting and even though it was only 40 minutes tonight, when I was subbed out I was tired and exhausted so I think there is a lot of conditioning to do."
Wembanyama and the Spurs are next in action on Sunday evening against third-overall pick Scoot Henderson and the Portland Trail Blazers.
