Victor Wembanyama Summer League debut: It's a mixed bag for the Spurs' top pick in his first NBA game

The most hyped prospect in years struggled on offense, but was great on defense

Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NBA Draft and perhaps the most hyped prospect to enter the league since LeBron James 20 years ago, has officially made his Summer League debut in Las Vegas. It did not go according to plan. The San Antonio Spurs may have defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 76-68, but 19-year-old phenom struggled on offense.

Wembanyama kicked the game off missing his first two shots. He made his third and proceeded to miss his next eight. He at least managed to connect on one 3-pointer in the final minutes, but when the final buzzer rang, he was just 2 of 13 from the floor.

Still, there is more to the game than just scoring, and Wembanyama brought quite a few of his other gifts to the table in San Antonio's win. So let's take a look at what went right and what went wrong for the top prospect in his NBA debut. Here are the biggest takeaways from San Antonio's win over Charlotte

The shots weren't falling

Wembanyama deserves a bit of slack for his offensive woes on Friday. Remember, his French season ended mere weeks ago, and there was some uncertainty about whether or not he'd even participate. There were also likely some nerves. The entire Thomas & Mack Center was packed just to see him in a game that didn't count. Bad shooting nights happen. He'll bounce back.

But there were a couple of troubling signs in the way that he played on offense. A couple of those misses were blown finishes that a player of his size and skill should really finish. More distressing were the turnovers and lost balls. Wembanyama is a very advanced ball-handler for his size, but remember, he's north of 7-foot-3. That's a lot of distance between his hands and the ground, and it gives defenders room to make plays on the ball. His lack of strength also proved problematic near the rim. He couldn't play bully ball, and defenders used that to stand him up and force him into uncomfortable positions.

The skill set is tantalizing, but it needs to be filled out with time. Wembanyama doesn't have an NBA body yet. He hasn't quite figured out how to protect the ball from elite defenders or adjust when his first move is taken away. Few rookies enter the league having mastered these things. He'll get there.

He's already a strong passer

Here's where Wembanyama did shine on offense against the Hornets. He's already an above-average passer for his size. Just look at this dime from the first quarter.

It may not look too flashy, but that's a pass right out of Nikola Jokic's toolbox. To transition from a drive into a pass that quickly and smoothly is extremely rare for a player of his size. But at his height and with the attention he's always drawn as a scorer, he knows that he can both create advantages for teammates and see them no matter who is defending him. This is a combination of vision, craft and timing that you almost never see out of big men. Wembanyama has it -- as a teenager.

There were a few other very nice passes, but it was his overall willingness to pass that stood out. Rarely did he force up looks trying to break out of his slump. He almost always made the right play within the offense, and that is going to serve him well when he has better talent around him during the regular season. He likely won't ever be Jokic's equal as a playmaker, but he's not just a scorer either. He's going to generate real passing value just as Tim Duncan once did in San Antonio.

He's going to contend for All-Defense as a rookie

Wembanyama had two negative defensive highlights in this game, and they're going to be the two plays that get the most traction online tonight: Kai Jones posterizing him on a lob dunk and Brandon Miller crossing him up and sending him to the floor. Those were perhaps the only two disappointing defensive moments of the night for Wembanyama. Otherwise? He was sensational.

The Spurs made it clear from the opening tip that they do not plan to treat him as a traditional rim-protecting center on defense when they allowed him to defend Miller, the No. 2 overall pick and a wing, and he largely did so successfully. Miller finished the game with 16 points, but on 5-of-15 shooting. Wembanyama even managed to block a 3-point attempt of his. 

This didn't detract from his rim-protecting duties either. Despite spending plenty of minutes chasing Miller around screens and switching comfortably on the perimeter, he managed to block five shots. The Hornets scored eight points in the paint in the entire first half because they were so terrified of challenging him anywhere near the rim. His offense, while remarkably advanced for a player of his age, is going to take time. He has edges to sand out. But he's going to enter the NBA as an All-Defense candidate, which is virtually unprecedented for a rookie. There is no answer whatsoever for his size, foot speed and instincts.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 11:11 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

That's a wrap on Victor Wembanyama's debut

We've played 40 minutes here in Vegas and the Spurs have defeated the Hornets, 76-68. Here's the final line on No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama in his NBA debut:

9 Points, 2-13 FG

8 Rebounds

5 Blocks

3 Assists

+4 +/-

[Jul 7, 2023 at 11:05 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Finally, field goal No. 2 falls

Victor Wembanyama made his first shot in the first quarter. He'd been blanked aside from two free throws ever since. But with under three minutes remaining, the No. 1 pick is back on the board with a made 3-pointer and a free throw to boot.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 11:04 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

It's just getting worse for Wemby as a scorer

After starting the game 1-of-9 from the field, the Spurs likely brought Wembanyama back into the game hoping to get him a couple more points and a bit of confidence going into Sunday's matchup with Portland. Nope. He bricks an open 3-pointer to fall to 1-of-10 from the floor.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 11:02 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Welp... never mind

As soon as we wonder if Wemby is done, he checks back into the game with 4:10 remaining. If he closes the night, he'll have played 27 minutes and 27 seconds in his pro debut.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 11:01 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Is Wemby done for the night?

We're back from commercial with 4:40 to go, and Victor Wembanyama remains out. He's played 23 minutes and 17 seconds tonight, and the Spurs lead by 12. Will we see the No. 1 pick again tonight? That's unclear. The Spurs have no reason to force the issue, so his night may be over.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 10:53 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

The offensive struggles continue

Wembanyama misses that layup and it takes him to 1-of-9 from the field tonight. He's impacted the game in other ways on defense, but getting the ball in the hoop has been a major struggle. He's on the bench now having played 23 minutes. We'll see if he makes it back onto the floor tonight.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 10:50 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

There's block No. 4

Wembanyama continues to make his presence felt on the defensive end. That's four total blocks, taking him one block short of his point total thus far (five).

[Jul 7, 2023 at 10:47 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Wemby's stats after three

Three quarters down, one to go. Here are how the numbers look for Victor Wembanyama after three quarters:

5 Points, 1-7 FG

7 Rebounds

3 Blocks

2 Assists

+9 +/-

[Jul 7, 2023 at 10:44 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

No. 2 beats No. 1

Victor Wembanyama got a highlight off of Brandon Miller in the first half when he blocked his 3-pointer, but Miller just got him back with a sick crossover move that had Wembanyama on the ground. The Hornets didn't get points out of it, though, as a foul was called. Still, it was a message from Miller: he may not be the most famous player in this game, but he's a top-two pick in his own right.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 10:41 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Quick return

Victor Wembanyama is back on the court after only around two minutes on the bench. It's a quicker rest for the No. 1 pick than he had in the first half, and it signals that he likely won't go the rest of the way for San Antonio.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 10:33 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Wemby to the bench

Similar to the first half, Victor Wembanyama goes to the bench roughly five minutes into the third quarter. In the first half, he returned late in the quarter. We'll see how much playing time the Spurs want to give him tonight. With a double-digit lead, it wouldn't be entirely surprising to see them sit him the rest of the way.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 10:31 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Jones over Wembanyama

Wembanyama has been incredible on defense all night, but he just got dunked on for the first time as a pro. Kai Jones just slammed home that lob pass over the No. 1 pick. It's a classic "welcome to the NBA" moment. Even the best defenders get dunked on from time to time.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 10:24 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

More ball handling issues

Wembanyama may only have two turnovers, but he's lost the ball with his teammates saving it a few other times. The Hornets are really making him work as a ball-handler. He's comfortable when he's attacking as a scorer, but things haven't gone as easily when he's been processing the floor.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 10:22 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

There's Wemby's second assist

The scoring hasn't come easily for Victor Wembanyama, but he just picked up his second assist on a little pitch to Julian Champagnie. His passing has been his best offensive trait tonight. His vision at 7-3 opens up so many things for his teammates.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 10:12 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Wemby's stat line after one half

It's been a mixed debut for Victor Wembanyama. He's been incredible defensively, but his offense has left plenty to be desired. Here's how the numbers look after two quarters.

5 Points, 1-7 FG

5 Rebounds

3 Blocks

1 Assists

+7 +/-

[Jul 7, 2023 at 10:11 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Wemby closes the half with block No. 3

That was Victor Wembanyama's third block, and it was by far his most decisive. He's spent much of this game guarding on the perimeter, but on that play, he was protecting the rim and simply denied Nick Smith Jr. at the rim

[Jul 7, 2023 at 10:09 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Wemby adds more points at the line

Offense hasn't gone as planned for Wemby tonight as he's started 1-of-7 from the field, but a nice little cut into the open space near the rim gets him two free throws. He sinks them, and those are points No. 4 and 5 for the No. 1 pick tonight.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 10:02 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Wemby's defense

We've played nearly a half here in Vegas. The Hornets have four points in the paint. Four! That should give you an idea of how impactful Wembanyama's size can be on defense. The Hornets can't get the ball to the rim when he's in the game.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 9:58 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Strength continues to be a concern

Victor Wembanyama may have lost his balance on that last post look, but his limited strength is part of what led to that. He doesn't really have the ability to leverage his size for easier looks yet, so once the defense stands him up, he's getting put in uncomfortable positions.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 9:54 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Scoring still isn't coming easily for Wemby

We still haven't seen much in the way of scoring out of Victor Wembanyama. He has only three points on that lone three-point play in the first quarter. In total, he's 1-of-6 from the floor, clearly dealing with some early nerves.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 9:52 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

No. 1 over No. 2

If you were looking for a Wemby highlight tonight, you just got it. Victor Wembanyama just blocked Brandon Miller on a 3-pointer after tracking him flawlessly across the court. That's where he's at his best. He has the fluidity of a wing and the length of a condor. He can virtually block any shot.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 9:50 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

The danger of being 7-3

We've seen Wembanyama lose the ball on the move when he drives towards the nail tonight. That's the danger of being 7-3. The ball has to travel a long way to get from his hand to the ground and back. He's going to be susceptible to swipes.

[Jul 7, 2023 at 9:45 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

ICYMI: Wemby's first bucket

Here are the first points Wemby put on the board in Vegas tonight:

[Jul 7, 2023 at 9:44 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Pros and cons after one quarter

Pros: Wembanyama is a far more advanced ball-handler and passer than any player of his size and age has ever really been. His bag on offense is deep, but more importantly, his attitude is selfless. He's going to fit seamlessly into San Antonio's offense. Defensively, his 8-foot wingspan allows him to contest basically everything near the rim.

Cons: Unsurprisingly, Wembanyama is going to need to add some strength. It wouldn't be fair to say that the Hornets are bullying him inside, but they've taken advantage of his skinner frame a few times, especially on offense to affect his shot.