There were ovations when Victor Wembanyama took the court at Thomas & Mack Center and was introduced to the sold-out crowd on Friday night.
The packed house was buzzing when Wembanyama won the opening tip for the Spurs and touched the ball for the first time.
There were gasps when the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft last month displayed the incredible athleticism in his 7-foot-4 frame, nearly threw down a baseline dunk with cartoonishly long strides or handled the ball in the open court.
Eventually, the buzz died down as reality hit — this is going to take time.
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Wembanyama, who has been hailed as the best prospect since LeBron James, struggled against strength and quickness.
His shot wasn’t falling — he missed seven of his first eight attempts — and he was at times passive.
He shot an airball on a contested three-pointer and seemed fatigued in the second half.
Wembanyama was even dunked on by Kai Jones after switching and rotating back late.
He did sink a three-pointer late in the fourth quarter after missing his first five, and the crowd exploded in cheers.
He wasn’t even the Spurs’ best player Friday night — that honour went to former St. John’s star Julian Champagnie, who had 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a 76-68 win over the Hornets.
Wembanyama finished with nine points on 2-for-13 shooting, eight rebounds and five blocks in 27 minutes.
Consider it an introduction to the challenge that awaits.
As wondrous and unique as Wembanyama may be, he is entering the unknown. Not even James faced pressure this extensive.
The social media hot-take era is ready to anoint or lambaste the skilled big man and it didn’t disappoint after his first hit out.
The Athletic’s Joe Vardon said: “Victor Wembanyama’s Summer League debut was, well, forgettable.”
Another Athletic reporter Tony Jones said: “The only thing I take from Wemby’s debut is there’s probably just never going to be another LeBron James, so we probably shouldn’t be comparing 19 year olds to him.
“Everything is there for Wemby. It’s just going to take time and strength training.”
Fox Sports’ Skip Bayless added: “It was just one Summer League game, but I must admit, I wasn’t blown away by what I saw from Victor Wembanyama. He was well taught. He plays the right way. Astonishing skill for his astonishing height. But I didn’t see will-imposing or, obviously, physically dominant.”
There were even a few brief, but audible, “overrated” chants Friday.
Odds are, Wembanyama will find criticism before praise. Go take a look at recent phenoms. They lose upon their arrival in the NBA because the worst teams are in position to draft them. The Cavaliers went 35-47 in James’ first season. The Pelicans were 30-42 in Zion Williamson’s first season. It takes time to change that.
This story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.
