LAS VEGAS — Victor Wembanyama looked more at home on the court in his second game for the San Antonio Spurs and fans saw a little more of what makes him so special. He led all Spurs players with 27 points and added 12 rebounds, three blocks and a steal in Sunday’s 85-80 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at the Thomas & Mack Center. Wembanyama was pulling players out of the dribble, finishing over the edge with falling back dunks and even hitting two of his four 3-point attempts. Sitting pitchside, watching one of the new team members, were Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell.
“We’re going to have a lot of fun this season,” Sochan told Yahoo Sports with a smile. “I can’t wait to play with him. He’s been so long, it’s crazy.”
A week before the Spurs arrived in Las Vegas for the Summer League, Wembanyama took to the field with his new teammates for practice. During five-on-five drills, Wembanyama dunked two people on a missed shot and came out of nowhere for the return. Johnson and Vassell said they just looked at each other, shaking their heads and laughing at what they had just seen.
“It’s really hard to get a shot and do anything around it,” said Spurs goalkeeper Julian Champagnie. “Vic is pretty cool though, he loves to compete and we all try to find that chemistry on the pitch. I really enjoy playing with him.”
The rest of Wembanyama’s teammates had very similar reactions to when they first met Wembanyama in training and hit the pitch with him for the first time.
“I was like, ‘Whoa,'” Spurs guard Blake Wesley told Yahoo Sports of the first practice. “I’ve never played with someone like him before. He’s so long and athletic. I remember there was this rebound he had and he came back up with a mill dunk wind like it was nothing. I was like, ‘How did he do that?’ He brings a lot to the team and I’m just grateful to have him as a teammate.”
6-foot-10 striker Dominick Barlow plays alongside Wembanyama in the frontcourt, giving Spurs great size and rim protection in the paint. The pair combined for 11 blocks in the first two games.
“I’ve never really had to look up to anyone before, so it was something new,” Barlow told Yahoo Sports of his first encounter with Wembanyama. “He’s a great worker. He listens, he’s coachable, everything you’d expect from someone so talented. I’m really excited to continue competing with him in training and also playing alongside him. .”
Late in the third quarter of Sunday’s game, Wembanyama had the ball in transition with Wesley running down the left sideline. Wembanyama beat his man, firing two more defenders and instead of cutting Wesley came out in the corner for a 3. Wembanyama thought he was still continuing towards the basket and kicked the ball out of bounds.
“I know I should have kept cutting and he saw it too,” Wesley said. “We’re going to get it. We’ve had some great times so far, just two games, so I’m excited to keep building that chemistry.”
With his 8-foot wingspan and 7-4 frame, Wembanyama does things on the court that other players don’t. Instead of grabbing rebounds and turning to look for an out pass, he started swinging the ball to nearby teammates to speed up play in transition.
“I try to learn his tendencies and we all try to be on the same page as a band,” Barlow said. “I think we have a chance to be quite special, especially on the defensive end, with our length and versatility.”
The sold-out crowd had more of a show on Sunday than fans saw on its Friday debut. Even during warm-ups, he looked relaxed, joking with some of the coaches and talking to his teammates. Once the game got going, Wembanyama started to settle into the sets on offense and looked more fluid with different play calls.
“Honestly, I didn’t really know what I was doing on the pitch tonight, but I’m trying to learn for the next games and be ready for the season,” Wembanyama said Friday after his first game.
He had a relatively calm stat line in his debut, scoring just nine points (2 for 13 from the field) and grabbing eight rebounds. He was a completely different player in his second game for Spurs and had a positive impact on the game in various ways. There were times when he brought in his teammates sitting pitchside as spectators and his teammates watching from the bench at their feet, giving a glimpse of what the future holds for this talented young Spurs side.
“It’s a process,” Wesley said. “We’re all young and nothing’s going to happen overnight. When Spurs had Tim Duncan, they were all young too. We’re all capable of coming together and trying to win a championship in a few years. We have all the tools to get there.