Victor Wembanyama’s opening night hasn’t gone the way the Spurs or their fans expected.
By halftime of San Antonio’s matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the center had managed just eight points, and the numbers behind that total were even harsher. Wembanyama missed all seven of his field-goal attempts in the first half and went into the break at minus-11, an unusually rough start for the player Spurs supporters are counting on to take another jump after his breakout sophomore season.
The early struggles have already sent plenty of anxiety through the fanbase, especially with the Spurs facing the Thunder, who have quickly become a familiar problem. One fan suggested Oklahoma City may have cracked the code on how to defend Wembanyama and argued that his reluctance to attack them was costing San Antonio.
“Really don't see what Victor Wembanyama did to improve his offensive game in the offseason. He seems more guardable as people adjust to what he can do and is not yet willing to do with the ball,” the fan noted.
Another supporter, writing in French and translated to English, took issue with how the Spurs were using him.
“Wemby's performance with the WCF was monstrous, he was putting up posters on you, dunks, insane alley-oops, so why'd we go back to that old offensive system making him play like he's a point guard???”
A third fan kept it simple, saying Wembanyama has to flip the script in the second half.
“Victor Wembanyama has to be better. That was a flat out disgusting half.”
At the time of writing, Oklahoma City led San Antonio 80-70 midway through the third quarter.
In Other News...
Spurs Showed Fight Against OKC But One Debate Just Got Louder
The Spurs had the kind of season opener that can leave a team feeling both encouraged and annoyed. They hung around with Oklahoma City through a game that featured multiple lead changes, physical stretches and a handful of defensive plays worth circling, even if the Thunder ultimately pulled away for a 116-104 win. The return of Jalen Williams gave Oklahoma City another layer, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jared McCain helped steady the visitors when the game tightened.
For San Antonio, the bigger takeaway may be less about the final margin and more about how sharply the matchup sharpened the conversation around Victor Wembanyama. His back-and-forth on the defensive end with Chet Holmgren produced the kind of moments that fuel a rivalry debate, and the altercation involving DeAaron Fox only added to the edge. The Spurs showed they can match intensity, but they also left with one familiar question getting louder after a night when the other side handled the biggest moments better. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Sounds Off After Spurs Let Thunder Set The Tone
The Spurs opened the season with a loss to the Thunder, and Victor Wembanyama did not hide his frustration afterward. San Antonio fell 116-104 in a game that quickly tilted toward Oklahoma City, even as Wembanyama still found ways to make his presence felt with 13 rebounds and six blocks. His shot never came around, though, as he managed just 12 points on 1-of-13 shooting in a start that left plenty of room for the Spurs to clean up.
What stood out most from Wembanyamas postgame assessment was how plainly he pointed to the issues that let the Thunder set the tone. He cited defensive miscommunication and poor closeouts, the kind of lapses that can snowball early in a season when rotations are still being sorted out. For San Antonio, the loss was more than one rough night from its franchise center - it was a reminder that the details have to sharpen up fast if the Spurs want to avoid letting opponents dictate the pace from the opening tip. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Opening Night Brings Back A Brutal Lesson They Can't Ignore
The Celtics opening-night rally in Detroit served as an ugly reminder of how quickly a big lead can disappear, and that is the sort of lesson the Spurs cannot afford to treat casually as they begin a new season. Boston erased a 22-point deficit and turned what looked like a comfortable opener into one of the most dramatic comebacks in recent memory, a result that inevitably brings back memories around San Antonio of the Finals collapse that still lingers in the background of this teams recent history.
Now the Spurs are moving forward with a new look and a different centerpiece in Victor Wembanyama, with expectations that he can set the tone early and give the group a stronger baseline on both ends. But if opening night in the league proved anything, it is that no advantage is safe for long, and San Antonio has every reason to keep that warning front and center as it tries to build something sturdier this time around. [Read more 🡒]