On Friday night, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama officially entered the NBA, playing his first Summer League game in Las Vegas to a sold-out crowd.
To the cheers of thousands, he scored 9 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 2 assists.
Those aren’t astonishing numbers and it left some people a bit worried that perhaps Wembanyama’s talents won’t translate to the NBA.
Following the game, the rookie spoke frankly about his performance.
“Honestly, I didn’t really know what I was doing…I’m trying to learn,” Wembanyama admitted following his team’s victory.
"Honestly, I didn't really know what I was doing…I'm trying to learn."
Victor Wembanyama speaks on his NBA Summer League debut. pic.twitter.com/CvQSQ6SKga
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) July 8, 2023
It’s not surprising that Wembanyama said he didn’t know what he was doing on Friday night.
In many ways, he was thrown into the league and into this lineup just days ago.
Summer League games are tricky and they don’t reflect the actual pace of the regular season.
They also don’t feature the same players who will be on the court when 2023-24 tips off in October.
Wembanyama hasn’t had much time to adjust to his new team or really work intricately with the coaches.
In many ways, Friday night was something of a warm-up, a practice session that will help him acclimate.
Even with his minimal offensive output, he showed flashes of true brilliance, especially defensively.
His five blocks are particularly exciting for fans of the team.
But Wembanyama has been promoted as an all-around player who can do things both defensively and offensively.
Therefore, fans will expect much more from him when the regular season begins.
He has several months to figure out what he is doing, and work with his coaches and his players to develop.
If Wembanyama is still performing like this during the regular season then fans might be very worried.
As of now, they are willing and ready to give him patience and time.
NEXT: Fans React To Victor Wembanyama's Summer League Debut