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Though Wembanyama generally maintains a cool exterior and chooses his words carefully, he had seemed disappointed by his 2-for-13 shooting night against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. A perfectionist who is surely unaccustomed to being viewed as a letdown, the 19-year-old French forward raced around the court during warmups, slapped himself in the face before tip-off and delivered a well-rounded performance that drew gasps of awe and standing ovations during an 85-80 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at Thomas & Mack Center on Sunday.
With Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich watching from a few rows behind the bench, Wembanyama capitalized on his second chance to make a good first impression. The jitters that had defined his debut were replaced by an approach that was more forceful and more relaxed.
“In the past month, I think basketball wasn’t even 50 percent of my schedule,” Wembanyama said. “I couldn’t stand it. It’s a special moment in my life, but I’m glad it’s over, honestly. I just want to hoop, work out and lift. Every [top draft] pick has to go through this. It just makes me better for the future.”
While it took a quarter for Wembanyama to assert himself offensively against the Blazers, the 7-foot-5 big man displayed the layered scoring game that captivated scouts and fans alike. He ripped a right-to-left crossover to set up a leaning jumper. He threw down a dunk in transition. He ducked into the paint, absorbed contact and tossed in a tough finish. And he powered over the top of the defender, celebrating with a quick flex after finishing the and-one.
AND-1. FLEX. WEMBY LOCKED IN 🔒#NBA2KSummerLeague on ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/B07rxIFrii
— NBA (@NBA) July 10, 2023
By night’s end, Wembanyama had posted 27 points on 9-for-14 shooting, 12 rebounds and three blocks in 27 minutes while keying a fourth-quarter rally that came up short in the final minute. As San Antonio chipped into Portland’s lead, Wembanyama let his emotions show, shouting with glee after forcing a 24-second violation and soaking in the loud cheers from another sellout crowd when he drained a clutch three-pointer from the left wing.
“There’s a lot of attention,” said Matt Nielsen, the coach of the Spurs’ Summer League team. “I think he showed the talent that he has and the resilience. He stepped up.”
Wembanyama’s flair was back in full force against the Blazers, who tried to slow him by fouling him repeatedly. His signature sequence came in the second quarter, when he blocked a shot on one end and finished the play with a dunk on the other. During crunchtime, he sported a Band-Aid on his face — the byproduct of the physical night — and sought to play hero with a running three-pointer that rimmed off in the closing seconds.
“I wish we would have won the game,” Wembanyama said. “I think it’s normal to get better every game. The best show for the fans is the win. It’s just Summer League, but they can see us battling and getting better tonight. I think we gave them a good show.”
San Antonio announced Saturday that the 74-year-old Popovich, the winningest coach in NBA history, had signed a new five-year deal that is expected to coincide with Wembanyama’s rise to superstardom. Wembanyama said the contract was evidence that Popovich “cares about the project” and that “there’s something great going on” in San Antonio.
A big part of Popovich’s project will be refining his franchise player’s offensive role. In his first two games, Wembanyama thrived in transition, as a cutter and in isolation on the perimeter when he had favorable matchups. Handling the ball in traffic and fighting through multiple defenders in the paint led to turnovers and poor decisions.
Defensively, Wembanyama thrived as a helper who intimidates ballhandlers, protects the rim from the weak side and closes out hard on shooters with his 8-foot wingspan. He encountered more difficulty when he had to fight for contested rebounds and guard heavier opponents on the block.
The Spurs’ plan to label Wembanyama as a forward rather than a center should suit him well on both ends and save him from heavy pounding inside.
“It’s just me getting comfortable with myself and my body on the court,” Wembanyama said. “The court is more open [in the NBA than in France]. It’s going fast. It’s less physical. I get fouled a lot, but not as much. Here, it’s great athletes. The best in the world. Way more talent. I like this better.”
After playing Wembanyama 54 combined minutes in his first two games, the Spurs decided Monday to shut him down for the remainder of Summer League. What comes after Las Vegas remains unknown even to Wembanyama, who will not play for France at the FIBA World Cup.
Wembanyama said Sunday that he plans to meet with Spurs officials to set his schedule for August and September. Only one thing was certain: After spending the past month in the spotlight, he anticipated reclaiming some privacy.
“I’m probably going to disappear from the media,” Wembanyama said.