After not playing in the California Classic for the San Antonio Spurs, No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama made his debut in silver and black on Friday on the first night of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
The entire basketball world tuned in to watch perhaps the most anticipated Summer League debut in the history of the annual NBA event, but it turned out to be a disappointing showing for the French import as he struggled to make an impact and entertain the crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center.
In all honesty, outside of dropping a triple-double or scoring 30 points or more, Wembanyama wasn’t going to live up to expectations on Friday night, with everyone expecting a more polished and taller version of Kevin Durant right out of the gate.
Ultimately, Wembanyama finished the night with nine points on 2-of-14 shooting, with eight rebounds and five blocks.
He didn’t look good and seemed to struggle with the pace of play while being outplayed by No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller, who recorded a double-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and three steals.
With Wembanyama failing to light up the scoreboard in his debut, the critics are out in full force, but Jason Timpf of Volume Sports wants fans to calm down.
“It wasn’t the most ideal basketball environment to see what Victor is capable of.”
— @_JasonLT explains why we all need to settle down after Wemby’s debut pic.twitter.com/OuISrOWAho
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) July 8, 2023
If Wembanyama puts on a show in his second game or third game for the Spurs or at some point during the Summer League in Las Vegas, falling short in his debut will be forgotten entirely.
Although the media has hyped up Wembanyama to ridiculous proportions at this point, the 19-year-old newcomer needs time to adapt and get used to his new surroundings before he can truly be evaluated for what he does on the basketball floor.
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