After languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference standings last season, the Spurs enter the 2023-24 NBA season with a lot of optimism.
When the Spurs tanked and were given the top overall pick in this summer’s draft, they made sure to get Victor Wembanyama from France.
He is arguably the most hyped prospect that we’ve ever had because of his enormous potential, so when he set foot on an NBA court for the first time, all eyes were on him to see if the hype was warranted.
With a couple of Summer League games already done and dusted, allow SBOTOP to share some of our biggest takeaways regarding the Frenchman.
Wemby’s Summer League stint
In Wembanyama’s first game against the Hornets, he had nine points, eight rebounds, five blocks, and three assists. Those are good numbers, but not amazing considering the hype around him.
Wemby struggled shooting from the field, going 2-for-13. He even airballed a pair of three-point attempts in the final period, and he was sloppy with the ball at times.
However, the 7’6” Frenchman did show off his playmaking skills, as he would find teammates for scoring opportunities. Yes, he only had three dimes, but that was because his teammates mishandled some of his would-be assists.
Despite the modest statline, pundits took it with a grain of salt because the Summer League is rarely a reliable gauge for success in the Association. Regardless, for many basketball fans, seeing Wemby play in the NBA for the first time was a sight to behold, and it was just the beginning.
He did much better in his second Summer League game, notching 27 points on 9-for-14 shooting from the field, 12 rebounds, and three blocks. He looked more comfortable against the Blazers, putting on a show on both ends of the floor.
However, that would turn out to be his final Summer League match, as the Spurs shut him down after having seen all they needed from him.
Examining Wemby’s strengths and weaknesses
Many believe that Wembanyama can be an All-Defencive Team-level defender immediately due to his length and athleticism.
That was on full display in the Summer League, where he was deterring passes and shots left and right. More importantly, he was almost always in the right place at the right time.
However, he will need to work on his defencive rebounding and perimeter defence.
While he’s mobile for his size, his shot-blocking skills might be nullified when opponents pull him away from the paint. And sometimes, he’s had trouble dealing with stockier players in box-out situations.
On the offencive end, Wembanyama will continue to be a work in progress, especially since his ball handling leaves a lot to be desired.
When Wembanyama gets tunnel vision driving to the rim, he has trouble dealing with ball-hawking defenders, often losing the ball in traffic.
Perhaps the best way to utilise him on offence, at least for now, is to be a roll man rather than the ball handler on the pick-and-roll since he’s a huge passing target.
Despite his fluid shooting form, Wembanyama has a long way to go before he can be a reliable three-point shooter. Last season in France, he shot 27.5-per cent from deep, and his spot-up footwork looked clunky, as shown in the Summer League.
And his overall fitness through the course of a full 82-game regular season will also determine whether he’ll succeed in his rookie year. After his lacklustre performance in the first Summer League game, Wembanyama admitted that his conditioning was an issue.
How will the Spurs use him this upcoming season?
The Spurs are said to be handling Victor Wembanyama with kid gloves, primarily to avoid any major injuries given his unique physical characteristics. This is a wise decision for San Antonio because the past has proven that seven-footers frequently get leg injuries.
This means that the NBA 2023 odds won’t have him as the prohibitive favourite to win Rookie of the Year, although he should be able to get into the All-Rookie First Team.
However, if he impacts winning and creates enough NBA 2023 highlights, that should be enough to appease Spurs fans, who are aching to get back into at least play-in contention.
With Gregg Popovich agreeing to a new five-year, $80 million contract, he’s all-in for the Victor Wembanyama project.
San Antonio are hoping that Wembanyama will have an NBA career similar to that of David Robinson or Tim Duncan, the last top overall picks by the franchise.
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