Victor Wembanyama didn’t hide from his nightmare opening night. After shooting 1-of-13 in San Antonio’s 116-104 loss to Oklahoma City, the Spurs superstar admitted he simply thought too much.
“I need to go back to playing the basketball I like,” Wembanyama said in his postgame press conference. “This is not the sport I like right here. I’ve got no reason to be hesitant. I’ve got no reason to not be myself. I’m good when I have fun. I missed a lot of shots I usually don’t miss. But after that, I didn’t go back to these shots, and I wasn’t decisive. I might be overthinking it.”
He added: “I don’t need to do more. I need to think less probably.”
A historic struggle
Wembanyama missed his first 12 shots — tied for the second-most misses to start a season opener in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98), according to Elias — before finally scoring on an alley-oop dunk from De’Aaron Fox at the third-quarter buzzer. His 8 percent shooting was the worst of his career.
The Thunder’s swarming defense deserves credit: constant crowds, timed hits and mixed coverages left the 22-year-old passive, particularly in the fourth quarter. Yet he still finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds, six blocks and a steal, going 10-of-12 from the free-throw line.
Bounce-back expected
Coach Mitch Johnson refused to isolate Wembanyama, saying the whole team shared responsibility, while Stephon Castle expressed confidence his teammate will regain rhythm. The numbers back the optimism: Wembanyama shot 52.4 percent against OKC in five regular-season meetings last year and averaged 27.3 points in the Western Conference Finals.
San Antonio hosts Houston on Friday — expect a motivated Wemby.
The context matters: Wembanyama shot 52.4 percent against Oklahoma City across five regular-season meetings last year and averaged 27.3 points in their seven-game Western Conference Finals epic. One dreadful night does not erase that history. Coach Mitch Johnson refused to pin the loss on his superstar, spreading responsibility across the roster, while teammates expressed total confidence. Friday’s visit from Houston offers the perfect stage for a statement response.
One dreadful night does not define a superstar. Expect a motivated response on Friday night.
