The San Antonio Spurs kicked off their 2023-24 season on Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks, which means that rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama made his NBA debut. And fans had plenty of say about his performance.
Wembanyama had an excellent preseason, which is obviously a great sign heading into his regular season debut.
He wasn’t quite LeBron James in his debut on Wednesday, which fans have been comparing him to as a prospect coming into the NBA. But he did have a number of highlights that show his unmatched potential as a player.
He showed off his scoring ability from beyond the arc, making 3 of 5 three-point attempts on the night.
Victor Wembanyama nails his third three-pointer on the night! #Wemby 🏀🔥🦄 pic.twitter.com/yyyEm5eHTI
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 26, 2023
He also had other parts of his offensive game going, converting an And-One dunk along with a nice post-up move over a Mavericks defender.
Victor Wembanyama AND-ONE! #Wemby 🏀🔥🦄 pic.twitter.com/oDUDh1c0ZK
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 26, 2023
Victor Wembanyama has scored 9 points in the 4th quarter! #Wemby 🏀🔥🦄pic.twitter.com/RnYyagaHzN
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 26, 2023
It was largely positive for Wembanyama in the game. However, if you were going to judge one aspect of his performance, it was that he was susceptible to fouls on the defensive side of the ball. He picked up his fifth foul in the game early in the fourth quarter, which limited his playing time for much of the game.
Regardless, he finished with 15 points and five rebounds while making 6 of 9 shots from the field. Fans offered their opinion on his performance on social media after the game.
Victor Wembanyama in his NBA debut:
– 15 PTS (9 in Q4)
– 5 REB
– 67% FGWelcome to the Association 💪 #KiaTipOff23 pic.twitter.com/eFWYCoBmy6
— NBA (@NBA) October 26, 2023
Tim Duncan in his NBA Debut:
15 PTS | 2 AST | 6/9 FGVictor Wembanyama in his NBA Debut:
15 PTS | 2 AST | 6/9 FGHe’ll be *just* fine 😎
{h/t @EmilianoNaiar8} pic.twitter.com/PFApiTT67T
— Spurs_Muse (@spurs_muse) October 26, 2023
Victor Wembanyama's 4Q Highlights (dropped 9 points in the Quarter) pic.twitter.com/YkPrfaR55k
— Bala 💫 (@BalaPattySZN) October 26, 2023
Victor Wembanyama in his NBA debut tonight
15 points
5 rebounds
2 assists
2 steals
1 block
66.7% FG (6/9)
60% 3FG (3/5)Was a shaky start with foul trouble, but a very strong 4th quarter for Wembanyama
https://t.co/Lfbr5KopmN— Coast 2 Coast (@Coast2CoastNBA) October 26, 2023
It wasn’t exactly the dominant performance that some fans may have been expecting from Wembanyama in his debut. But there were some clear bright spots for him that can be built on throughout the season.
He will take the floor next on Friday night when the Spurs take on the Houston Rockets.
