![]() ![]() Legendary centre Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said Wembanyama will need to learn the NBA “style of play” and had some advice for the teen prodigy. ![]() Wembanyama got his first lesson in what to avoid when Charlotte centre Kai Jones delivered a leaping slam dunk over the Frenchman with 5:16 remaining in the third quarter.Īfter missing his first five 3-point attempts, Wembanyama sank one with 2:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. “I was kind of excited he was actually guarding me,” Miller said. He sank the free throw to complete a three-point play.Ĭharlotte, which made forward Brandon Miller the second overall pick, saw Wembanyama guard Miller at times, when he wasn’t being a defensive force near the basket. The Frenchman made his first basket in a Spurs uniform with 7:02 remaining in the first quarter, banking in an inside turnaround jumper in the lane while being fouled. Wembanyama started, won the opening tip-off and had an assist on the first Spurs possession, but missed his first three shots-a baseline jumper, an outside jumper and a layup attempt. “You don’t see that a lot of times in somebody that’s that highly touted. “He’s intelligent but he’s also incredibly curious,” Wright said. “He’s extremely unselfish, a really good passer and he’s all about the team.” “We have to take a patient approach with him,” Spurs general manager Brian Wright said during ESPN’s telecast. Wembanyama, expected to play again Sunday against Portland, will have pre-season training camp and tuneup games before the Spurs begin the regular season in October. “I’m trying to learn as much as I can as quickly as possible to be ready for the start of the season.” “Going to get acclimated to the NBA style of play,” he said. His five blocked shots were the most by a Spurs player in a Summer League game since 2018, a sign his NBA education is already paying some dividends. There’s no better way to start for a premiere.” “Special moment, really special, to wear that jersey for the first time. Stay connected.”Ī sellout crowd of 17,500 spectators jammed the Thomas & Mack Arena to watch Wembanyama wear a Spurs jersey for the first time. “The biggest improvement I’ve got to do, it’s being ready to react to the plays that were called by the point guard. “The hardest for me was understanding – sometimes I was off with reading the plays and the calls,” he said. “I didn’t really know what I was doing on the court, but I’m trying to learn…” /DdKcGJDlJ1- Nate Ryan July 8, 2023Īfter his first taste of on-court life in the NBA, coming against his fellow young talents and newcomers, Wembanyama learned he needs to move faster and react better when plays are called. He’s one of San Antonio’s overlooked young pieces that could end up making a huge difference next season, even more so playing next to such a great talent as Victor Wembanyama.Victor Wembanyama humble on his #Spurs debut: I’m not sure how many more games he’ll play considering he could be a mainstay with the Spurs this season, but Branham has really been a standout guy in Summer League. He’s really starting to understand when he can get to his spots, especially with his short pull-up midrange which he’s super comfortable with. Malaki looks even more comfortable approaching his second year than ever before. In two Summer League games to date, Branham is averaging 25 points per contest, including a 32-point game against the Los Angeles Lakers. So far in the NBA Summer League, he looks even better. Branham had a sneaky good rookie year averaging 10 points per game, and he really improved as the season progressed. ![]() ![]() Malaki Branham is another player who in his second year that could make a sizeable jump. NBA Malaki Branham (Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports) Malaki Branham, San Antonio Spurs ![]()
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