Gordon: Despite struggles, ‘Wemby’ brings Thomas & Mack to life
Some of the spectators in the sellout crowd that filled Thomas & Mack Center on Friday night arrived at 3 a.m. to secure premium seating for the first day of NBA Summer League.
Others — like NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and multiplatinum recording artist J. Cole — waited until the start of the 6 p.m. matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets to find their courtside chairs.
Seemingly all of them marveled at each and every move that Victor Wembanyama made during his NBA Summer League debut.
The misses. The makes.
Everything in between.
“A special moment,” said Wembanyama, chosen last month by the Spurs with the first pick in the NBA draft.
“Really really special. To wear that jersey for the first time is really an honor.”
Wembanyama’s participation on the first night of NBA Summer League made it one the most memorable in its 16-year history in Las Vegas. That despite a lackluster offensive showing from the 7-foot-3-inch French phenom, who registered nine points on 2-of-13 shooting in his first 27 NBA-ish minutes during a sloppily played 76-68 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
He’s due to play again at 5 p.m. Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers and No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson, who starred the last two years for G League Ignite and departed his Friday debut with an apparent shoulder injury — leaving his status unclear.
Wembanyama was vague about his playing status.
“Of course I want to play the next game,” Wembanyama said. “I just want to get better every time and learn as much as I can.”
An underwhelming outing
The building was abuzz well before Wembanyama jogged through the tunnel and onto the basketball court, thanks to his impending presence — and to Rockets wing and former No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr., whose buzzer-beating 3-pointer moments prior downed the Blazers and capped a 33-point outing.
Wembanyama’s arrival would only intensify an atmosphere … that his outing would ultimately underwhelm.
His touches early in the game began with anxious cheers and ended with errant shots or timid, predictable attacks. Thrice he was stripped on drives to the basket. An obvious need for additional strength — it’ll come, he’s 19 — belied the struggles he admittedly had adapting to San Antonio’s system.
He hasn’t much played basketball — save for a couple practices with San Antonio’s summer squad — since his season with Metropolitans 92 ended last month in France.
“Honestly, I didn’t know what I was doing on the court tonight,” Wembanyama said. “The hardest (thing) for me was understanding — sometimes I was not very good with the (sets) and calls. The biggest improvement I’ve got to do is being ready to react to plays that we’re called by the point guard.
“Stay connected.”
As underwhelming as he was offensively, Wembanyama was inversely overwhelming defensively — deterring actions directed toward the basket by simply standing in its proximity.
He blocked five shots and altered or prevented several others.
He was also late to help on one possession, allowing third-year Hornets forward Kai Jones to elevate over him and slam a one-handed alley-oop over his outstretched arm.
Might have been the first “poster.” Won’t be the last.
Welcome to the NBA.
“This is what I was talking about earlier, staying connected,” Wembanyama said. “We’re going to get scored on sometimes. It’s going to happen. The good thing is it’s Summer League and we’re here to learn.”
‘A special setting’
His performance was forgettable.
But his presence was memorable — and far more important than the way he played.
“Obviously, it’s a special setting,” Wembanyama said. “I haven’t had the time to really observe everything around me (because) it was my first time so I was really trying to activate.”
He struggled to activate his offense.
He succeeded in activating NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.
