San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama showed exactly why he was selected first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft during his preseason debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 19-year-old forward scored 20 points in just 19 minutes, adding five rebounds and two steals. The 7’3″ French phenom went 8-13 from the field, including a respectable 2-5 from behind the arc.
Thunder forward Chet Holmgren also made his preseason debut, finishing with 21 points and 9 rebounds in his 16 minutes on the floor while hitting seven of his ten field goals. He also connected on each of his two three-point attempts.
The 2022 second-overall pick missed his entire rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury in his right foot that he suffered in the offseason prior to his first year.
Oklahoma City ended up winning by the final score of 122-121.
Fans were enthralled by the battle of the top picks, with each player showcasing the ball-handling and shooting abilities that made them such enticing prospects.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
Wemby’s first dunk of his NBA career 🔥 pic.twitter.com/aiwPUdUVGe
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
WEMBY AND-1 THEN FLEXES ON CHET 😳 pic.twitter.com/GMHphvjayH
NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
Chet flexed then hit the Shedeur 🔥 pic.twitter.com/7GkJWDwUXV
NBA @NBA
WEMBY SAYS NO ⛔️
…for the first of many times.
Watch live on NBA TV: https://t.co/htyakZeFve pic.twitter.com/FF1EkDJ0WB
Eric Salinas @EricSal_7
I love how competitive Wemby’s demeanor is tonight.
He wants it.
Different breed.
Esfandiar Baraheni @JustEsBaraheni
Wemby’s recovery ability is so ridiculous
People talk about catch-radius but there’s Wemby sort of has that on defense? His recovery radius is bigger than anyone.
Eric Salinas @EricSal_7
Wemby is looking confident — imprints everywhere on both ends.
Best player on the floor and it’s not close.
Quan @TheFinalQuan
Guys – Wemby is for real
Matthew Tynan @Matthew_Tynan
Wemby just disrupted Oklahoma City’s entire offensive sequence by himself then beats everyone down the floor for a dunk. Yikes.
Tom Petrini @RealTomPetrini
Wemby just crossed Chet and drove directly through his face for an and-1 😳
ᵂᴵᴸᴸ @BiasedHouston
Yeah. The future of the center position is safe with Chet Holmgren and Wemby out there.
NBA University @NBA_University
Watching Chet & Wemby is like watching a future version of basketball
The Spurs’ next preseason game is against the Miami Heat on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City will face off with the Detroit Pistons on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.
>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Bleacher Report – https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10092804-spurs-victor-wembanyama-thrills-fans-in-preseason-debut-vs-chet-holmgren-thunder