Just over two weeks after being first selected in the NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs, Frenchman Victor Winbanyama made his Summer League debut on Friday night.
The one many consider to be the best hope to enter the NBA since LeBron James spent his first evening entirely in a Spurs uniform, while his club took on the Charlotte Hornets.
After being used for 27 minutes, the 7-foot-5 giant struggled with shooting, missing 11 of 13 attempts, including five of six three-point shots.
Four points out of nine points out Wimpy In this first game it was obtained from the free throw line – it was perfect at this point in the game.
After missing his first four shots from long range, he gave himself some confidence when he saw the sixth from behind the arc go into the basket late in the game.
“It’s a win, and that’s good for that. [les Spurs l’ont emporté 76-68]. There is still room for me to adapt. I will be better from match to match,” he promised in a post-match interview with ESPN.
If the new San Antonio gem wasn’t the most scintillating offensive phase against the Hornets, his defensive proficiency leaves no room for doubt.
Thus, Wimpanyama racked up eight defensive rebounds, in addition to grabbing at least five steals.
On the Hornets side, NBA second overall pick Brandon Miller had a more complete first-choice performance than Wimpanyama, amassing 16 points, 11 rebounds and three steals in 31 minutes of play.
Tottenham chose to include the 19-year-old Frenchman in the list despite a scene involving singer Britney Spears and his bodyguard at Wimpanyama causing plenty of distractions over the past 24 hours.
Wenbyanama’s next opportunity to gain experience will be Sunday night at 8 p.m. on the Portland Trail Blazers floor.
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