Victor Wembanyama is not really a rookie as many think, he did not attend a US college program but he was already a professional before being drafted by the San Antonio Spurs, he played in the French basketball league.
However, the difference between the French League and the NBA are relatively big, in Europe the rules are different for basketball, the 3-pointers line is shorter in the EuroLeague compared to the NBA so it will take Wembanyama time to adapt to the game in the United States.
see also
NBA: 5 players who are back on the court for the 2023-2024 season
It would be unfair to tell Wembanyama bust after an offseason game where the San Antonio Spurs aren’t risking anything, they’re just looking at some prospects like him since it’s likely that some of them are future Spurs.
What did Wembanyama say about his 2023 Summer League debut game?
Unfortunately Victor Wembanyama was not the best player during that particular game where the San Antonio Spurs won against the Charlotte Hornets by 76-68 but Wembanyama scored only nine points, while the top scorer for the Spurs was Julian Champagnie with 20 points. About his first game with Spurs Wemby said: “I didn’t really know what I was doing on the court, but I’m trying to learn…”
Victor Wembanyama humble on his #Spurs debut: “I didn’t really know what I was doing on the court, but I’m trying to learn…”
However, Victor Wembanyama had good stats to be his first game in a league totally different from the one he was used to, he knew that everything was going to be a little faster than normal, to which he said the timing was off with the plays.
"I didn't really know what I was doing." Victor Wembanyama on playing his first game in #NBASummerLeague as he felt the timing was off with the plays. Said he needs to work on his conditioning. #Spurs