Strong scenes, long breaks due to foul trouble – Victor Wembanyama drew mixed feelings after his debut in the NBA.
The “Alien” has landed. After Summer League and Preseason, Victor Wembanyama has now played his first regular-season game in the NBA. The game of the San Antonio Spurs against the Dallas Mavericks was accompanied by a lot of hype, finally the former permanent title contender and five-time NBA champion, but also backbencher of the recent past was in the spotlight again.
The Spurs lost a close Texan duel 119-126, so this time Luka Doncic and his Mavs, who had been zapped in crunch time, had their noses in front. “It would have been perfect with a win,” the 19-year-old Wembanyama was thus not satisfied in view of the defeat either. For long periods, he had to watch the action on the court inactively. Too many fouls forced coach icon Gregg Popovich to take out his brand-new protagonist.
It wasn’t until the final minutes that Wembanyama stepped in again. And how. Alley-oop dunk, three-pointer, the full range of his game came into play. San Antonio reached for the win, but narrowly failed in the final minute. Wembanyama finished with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, one block; he hit three of his five three-point attempts. “Maybe I was trying to play too well. I don’t have to take so many risks defensively,” he said afterward, describing the drama of the Texas duel from his perspective. “I was focused on being the best I can be,” the 6-foot-4 teenager said of it.
Praise came from the opposing superstar. Match-winner Doncic (triple-double with 33 points) raved, “He’s going to be fantastic, he already is. The way he moves is incredible – almost like a point guard.” That’s already “pretty amazing” what Wembanyama offers, he said.
“A mature young man “
Good thing he’s blessed with groundedness despite his bounce. “Victor has been the center of attention for a long time, and that’s not going to change,” the 74-year-old Popovich knows. “Fortunately for us, he’s a really mature young man who knows what he wants. He’s already a professional.”
An ambitious professional, as Wembanyama points out, “We’re hungry for the whole season, but especially for the next game.” On Friday night (2 a.m. CEST), the Spurs have to take on the Houston Rockets. The next Texas duel, this time the chances of victory should be greater.
