In the NBA, a star is born. Victor Wembanyama, number 1 in the 2023 draft and number 1 of the San Antonio Spurs, played his first official game in the best basketball league in the world this Wednesday. The atmosphere at the AT&T Center in San Antonio was one of celebration before what is expected to remain in the annals as a historic moment, the first game of a player called to mark an era in the NBA. However, the exploits of Wembanyama, nicknamed Wemby by locals, will have to wait. It debuted with a loss against the Dallas Mavericks (119-126). He was loaded with fouls and spent most of the game on the bench. He gave some signs of his unique talent, but his debut was rather lackluster and disappointing. Meanwhile, in front, the Slovenian Luka Dončić led his team to victory, with 33 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. A triple double.
Shortly after the game began, Wembanyama blocked Kyrie Irving and hit a three-pointer, unleashing the euphoria of the crowd. However, in the entire first half of the game he managed only one other triple and went into halftime with 6 points, 3 rebounds, an assist and a block. Spurs coach Greg Popovich, partly out of vocation and partly because Wembanyama was loaded with fouls early, decided to dose his minutes. He only played 12 in the first half and 23 in the entire game.
Despite his height, the Frenchman performed almost the entire game on the perimeter in attack. His backhandedness, his ability to score the ball, his distance shot, his stylized figure and his enormous size make him an unmistakable player, an icon. However, the debut match shows that he still has a way to go to become the decisive player he is supposed to be. In a player like Luka Dončić, without going any further.
Wembanyama spent the third quarter blank after committing his third offensive foul and spending most of it on the bench. He only shined in the last quarter, in which he scored 9 points, to round out the game with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block. Opposite, Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II, 7-foot-12, twelfth in the draft This year, he had 16 points and 11 rebounds.
The good news that the night leaves for Spurs is that they were competitive throughout the game despite barely having the Wembanyama contest. If the Frenchman starts to work, the team can stand up to the NBA’s intermediate rivals. It is far, however, from the level of the favorites.
Record for Porziņģis
Beyond the symbolism of Wembanyama’s debut, the star of Wednesday’s NBA day was another European of practically the same height, the Latvian Kristaps Porziņģis. He debuted with the Boston Celtics and broke the scoring record for a rookie on the team with 30 points, playing against the Knicks, which was his first team in the NBA. He made 8 of 15 baskets from the field, with 5 of the 9 triples he attempted, including one that tipped the balance a minute and a half from the end. Additionally, he put up 4 blocks and grabbed 8 rebounds. His first quarter, in which he scored three triples and 15 of his team’s 30 points, was a highlight.
Porziņģis has been a player hampered by injuries, but he also has unusual skill and aim for a player 2.18 meters tall. In the Washington Wizards he withered last season, but with his arrival to the Celtics he aspires to the championship ring.
The Latvian center’s role was decisive in the Celtics’ victory in their first game of the season, more difficult than it initially seemed. The Celtics beat the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden (104-108). Boston star Jayson Tatum, hungry for the ball all game, had 34 points and 11 rebounds, the best in both chapters. The Knicks trailed all night, taking the lead for the first time in the fourth quarter, but then collapsed with a 0-9 run that condemned them to defeat. RJ Barret and Immanuel Quickley, both with 24 points, were their two best scorers.
In the rest of the day’s games, Cam Thomas’ 36 points in just 25 minutes stood out, but they were not enough, however, for his team, the Brooklyn Nets, to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers. They were defeated 113-114. On the visiting team, Denis Mitchell and Max Strus scored 27 points each. Mitchell, another decisive player, scored the final triple.
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