I know it’s early.
I know it’s just preseason.
But Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren were fantastic in their NBA debuts.
They showed off their offensive skills as they duelled for the lead and illustrated their defensive prowess as they worked to protect said lead.
Here are my first impressions of the two players:
Wemby Is Not Unstoppable
The San Antonio Spurs star rookie is super talented. He can score in a myriad of ways and can do so from almost anywhere.
In this game, he made threes, attacked the basket and sank an acrobatic layup, and made a couple dunks in the fastbreak. He can do it all.
But he is not without flaws.
In the first half, Wemby showed signs of discomfort when smaller defenders pressured him on the perimeter -which led to turnovers- because he’s super tall and doesn’t have elite ball handling.
However, I think his handles will get tighter over time to prevent this from happening frequently and it won’t be a big concern.
Wemby is Going to be Annoying
In the first quarter, the Spurs ran a few plays where they had Wembanyama leak out on the fast break instead of crashing the boards and essentially cherry-picking.
If this is a play they plan on running often, it is going to irritate defences a lot because there are not going to be many players who can stop him in transition. He’s just too long and skilled.
Oh, and could you just imagine him cherry-picking blocks and steals? Sheesh.
Chet Is No Slouch
Like Wemby, the Oklahoma City Thunders’ Chet Holmgren can also score in a bunch of ways from a bunch of places and can do it well.
He -despite being one the skinnier bigs in the NBA- is physical and likes to use his body to bully his defenders down low as he drives the lane or puts back a missed shot. He’s also an efficient catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter (made 2-of-2 three-point attempts).
Additionally, Chet is a good and willing defender. He’s long and knows how to use his body to contest shots and enjoys disrupting plays.
Final Thoughts
It was just a preseason game but these two showed out.
Wemby played 19 minutes and scored 20 points on 61.5 percent shooting, grabbed 5 rebounds, and got 2 steals and 1 block. Chet played 16 minutes and scored 21 points on 70 percent shooting, grabbed 9 rebounds, and blocked 1 shot.
If they keep this up, it’s going to be a fun season for Spurs and Thunder fans.