Victor Wembanyama Struggles, But Spurs Beat Hornets in Las Vegas Debut

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama didn't play his best, but the team grabbed a win against the Charlotte Hornets.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 7, 2023

Victor Wembanyama Struggles, But Spurs Beat Hornets in Las Vegas Debut /

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San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs remain perfect during their Summer League showcase after a 76-68 win against the Charlotte Hornets.

What made this game different than the other two, other than the location change from Sacramento to Las Vegas, was the presence of No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama.

However, Wembanyama didn't look like the top pick that he became during his French career. He scored just nine points on 2 of 13 shooting in 27 minutes of action. He also had eight rebounds, three assists and five blocks.

Even though Wembanyama didn't play like he may have wanted to, there's still a lot to celebrate for the Spurs.

Julian Champagnie continued his strong play from Sacramento with a team-high 20 points, while fellow second-year pro Malaki Branham added 17.

For the Hornets, No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

It's very easy to look at this game and feel a little disappointed. Wembanyama is a generational prospect and looked far from it, but it is just one Summer League game and there's still plenty of basketball left to be played by the No. 1 overall pick in Las Vegas and beyond.

Wembanyama and the Spurs return to action Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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Published Jul 7, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.