NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates 
Unsurprisingly, Victor Wembanyama didn’t have fun during the Spurs’ opening-season loss to the Thunder. He started the game by missing his first 12 shots, and while he had six blocked shots and impacted the game in other ways, he was the key reason San Antonio started the season 0-1.
After the game, the introspective Wembanyama essentially said he has to stop thinking so much.
Advertisement
“I need to go back to playing the basketball I like. This is not the sport I like, right here,” Wembanyama said. “I got no reason to be hesitant, no reason to not be myself. For me, it’s as simple as that. I’m good when I have fun…
“I missed lots of lots of shots, which I usually don’t miss. But after that, I didn’t go back to these shots. I wasn’t decisive. I might be overthinking it, and I feel like it’s a chance for me. What I have to do is really let go. I don’t need to do more. I need to think less, probably.”
Was part of his overthinking it the adjustment to new spacing — less of it — with the three-guard De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper lineups?
“I would say we haven’t been good enough to find that out,” Wembanyama said.
Advertisement
Part of that also is that the Spurs were playing the Thunder, the best defensive team in the NBA last season and one of the few teams with the depth and size to throw multiple 7-footers at Wembanyama to be physical with him. OKC is also loaded with quality perimeter defenders who made life tough for the Spurs trio of guards.
Wembanyama still made his presence felt with six blocks, fantastic overall defense and 13 rebounds.
Wembanyama, at 22, is a thoughtful, high-IQ player, but he would be far from the first great player to suffer “paralysis through analysis.” When Wembanyama is playing his best, there is a flow to what he is doing, it happens naturally, instinctively.
Advertisement
If the Spurs are going back to the NBA Finals, they need more out of Wembanyama — and specifically more against the Thunder. This was just one of 82, there is a long road ahead, but Wemby understands he has to get back to being himself, to having fun, or that road will seem even longer.
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/victor-wembanyama-opening-night-struggles-185853992.html
Author :
Publish date : 2026-10-21 18:58:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
