Spurs Rookie Victor Wembanyama Left 'Tired and Exhausted' After Summer League Debut
Victor Wembanyama is coming off a disappointing Summer League debut Friday night inside the Thomas & Mack Center.
He scored nine points on an appalling 2 of 13 shooting during the San Antonio Spurs' 76-68 Summer League victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
Wembanyama's play was far from the generational showcase that made the French phenom the No. 1 pick during the 2023 NBA Draft. But when given an honest assessment of his play, Wembanyama realized that his conditioning needs improvement ahead of his rookie campaign.
“I think there is a lot of conditioning to do to play in an 82-game season,” Wembanyama said via the San Antonio Express-News. “We run a lot. It is really exhausting. Even though the game was 40 minutes tonight when I came out, I was always like tired and exhausted, so I think there is a lot of conditioning to do."
The conditioning problems that plagued Wembanyama should not have been surprising.
The 19-year-old rookie prospect is a few weeks removed from the LNB Finals, where his Metropolitans 92 fell in a three-game sweep by Monaco. Wembanyama averaged 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocks during the series.
It might be easy to assume that Wembanyama is automatically in basketball shape. But playing on an NBA level will cause Wembanyama to improve his conditioning to get accustomed to the speed and physicality of the NBA.
But on the bright side, Wembanyama's defense was good as advertised despite his conditioning issues. He finished with eight rebounds and five blocks, which contributed to the Spurs' Summer League victory over the Hornets.
Wembanyama will continue to run in Sunday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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