After a rough debut at the NBA Summer League, No. 1 overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama looked much more like the generational prospect he’s been billed as in his second game on Sunday night.
The 7-foot-5 big man from France notched 27 points and 12 rebounds on 9 of 14 shooting. He wasn’t perfect, but it was certainly a step in the right direction.
That’s why it may have come as a surprise to see the news on Monday that the San Antonio Spurs would be shutting Wembanyama down, ending his time in the Summer League.
The Spurs are shutting down Victor Wembanyama for the rest of summer league, sources tell @TimBontemps. pic.twitter.com/s754Rcv0Wi
— ESPN (@espn) July 10, 2023
In actuality, this was all part of the team’s plan for the 19-year-old. The Spurs indicated ahead of the Summer League that Wembanyama’s playing time would be limited, and according to San Antonio Express-News columnist Mike Finger, they always intended for him to play in just two games.
Can report Victor Wembanyama is now 100% finished with summer league, per the Spurs.
All along, two games was the plan. Spurs wanted him to get a taste of the NBA, and he got it. Team saw what it wanted to see, now giving him a break after a busy 12 months.
— Mike Finger (@mikefinger) July 10, 2023
It has definitely been a whirlwind of a year for the young phenom. Wembanyama previously played in the French Pro A league, the nation’s highest level of professional basketball, leading the Metropolitans 92 to the finals.
Between that season — which ended earlier this summer — and the draft festivities, he’s barely had time to catch his breath.
In his debut with the Spurs against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, Wembanyama struggled quite a bit. He finished with nine points and eight rebounds, but he shot just 2 of 13 from the field and picked up a team-high four personal fouls.
In the second game, he showed more flashes of the talent that has earned him hype as the best draft prospect since LeBron James. Now, after getting his first taste of NBA action, he’ll take the next couple of months to prepare for his first season in the league.
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