He will come once a year, so he will have other opportunities to shine. Because for its premiere at Madison Square Garden and in New York, Victor Wembanyama had a very complicated evening.
The Frenchman was hampered by the physical dimension of Mitchell Robinson and the Knicks. The Spurs pivot thus wasted a lot of shots, even making airballs, to finish with 14 points at 4/14 on the shoot. The public therefore took the opportunity to criticize him, with “overrated” (“surcoté” in French).
Nevertheless, this remains an unforgettable first for the context. “No matter how many matches I play here, I hope it will always be special”he comments for ESPN.
Not for the sporting side however, because he missed his match therefore, and the Spurs were crushed. Once again… ” We learn. We are a young team and we will experience series of defeats, in complicated moments, during the season. It will happen. The most important thing is to bounce back”warns the former Mets player 92.
A defensive potential still hidden
San Antonio’s problem is the same as last season: defense. Gregg Popovich’s troops have conceded at least 120 points seven times… in eight matches! They have never held an opponent below 114 points.
“We have good intentions and we are still learning a lot from the staff defensively. We’re just trying to follow the instructions.” continues Victor Wembanyama. “The positive is that we bring energy every time, and that’s a good start. We have great potential defensively. Against Phoenix, we had some very good sequences. We are moving in the right direction. »
That the Spurs are still weak despite the arrival of the first choice of the 2023 Draft, we knew it before the start of the year and the first matches only confirm it. Gregg Popovich must therefore be patient and continue to work, although the setbacks are already piling up. The one in New York being the third in a row.
“Every game is full of mistakes. We learn when we win and when we lose,” launches the San Antonio coach. “But we will look at the images, we will keep some elements for the team and for the players. We would have done the same if we had won the match. »
| Victor Wembanyama | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2023-24 | SAN | 7 | 29 | 46.2 | 32.4 | 75.7 | 2.0 | 6.4 | 8.4 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 19.4 |
| Total | 7 | 29 | 46.2 | 32.4 | 75.7 | 2.0 | 6.4 | 8.4 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 19.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
