Victor Wembanyama Makes History, Los Angeles Lakers Nearly Choke & San Antonio Spurs Rally: 3 Takeaways
SAN ANTONIO — As Victor Wembanyama warmed up on the San Antonio Spurs' side of Frost Bank Center, he was locked in. Focused. Ready.
In just thirty minutes, he'd be lining up at center court against Anthony Davis to compete for opening possession — something he'd never lost before. But for now, he wasn't worried about that. He was focused on making shots.
Shot after shot fell, each rep showing a higher level of aggressiveness as he blew by his training coach to either throw down a dunk or post up for a jump shot. Music blared, and from the court level, it was the loudest sound in the arena.
That was, until he finished practicing.
As soon as the basketball left his hands and the rookie turned to enter the tunnel, fans began screaming for him.
"Wemby, look!" "Victor! Here!" "Go Spurs Go!"
Wembanyama took a second to high five the fans on either side of the railing — something he did on his very first contest in that arena — with a smile on his face. He embraced the love from the Spurs fans and disappeared into the tunnel to prepare for the game. And when he came back out, he played 33 minutes of basketball.
And he lost. The Spurs lost — though not before putting up one of the biggest fights of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Here are three takeaways from Wednesday night's failed comeback bid.
Dec 13, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers forward Cam Reddish (5) in the first half at the Frost Bank Center.
© Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
1) Wembanyama Might Have to Break Records to Bring the Spurs Close to Victory
Entering his first matchup against the Lakers, Victor Wembanyama was tied with Milwaukee's Brook Lopez on blocker per game. Both the rookie and the 16-year vet were averaging 2.8 blocks per game, and Wednesday night, Wembanyama added another six blocks to his totals.
It's been done before — both that many blocks in a game and that kind of average — but never by a rookie. And certainly not a teenager.
Wembanyama is leading all rookies in both major defensive categories, as well as rebounds and points. He's setting a precedent for rookies the likes of which have been touched by rookies like Tim Duncan, who also cemented his legacy with San Antonio.
The 19-year-old 7-4 center has recorded six straight double-double performances, one of which was his first 20-point, 20-rebound game. He's indubitably been the Spurs' frontman in terms of production. But still, the Spurs can't seem to win.
Against the Lakers, San Antonio put together an abysmal first half, a better third quarter and a near-historic fourth quarter. Led by Wembanyama, who ended up with 30 points, the Spurs posted their fourth-most points in a single quarter in team history.
And yet, they lost.
Right now, the Spurs are still in the "figuring it out" stage. They're working to overcome rotational obstacles as well as youth-based ones, and Wembanyama's importance to the team is one of them. It's not a bad thing for him to be needed, but to almost need him to post a double-double or a 30-point performance to make a game competitive isn't where San Antonio wants — or should — be.
Wembanyama is getting more consistent, yes, but he can only do so much.
Wednesday night proved that.
2) No LeBron James Hurt Los Angeles Majorly
When LeBron James was ruled out of the Lakers' first matchup against the Spurs, half of the building let out a collective sigh of relief while the other half — dressed in Purple & Gold — likely felt like their money had been wasted.
Yes, those fans left the arena with a win and a feeling of accomplishment, but also a little shaken up. If one more shot had gone the Spurs' way, they'd have left feeling cheated of a James performance and a win. That's how much his presence matters.
James, 38, is in his 21st NBA season, yet he's still able to take on the load of a superstar who needs to play a majority of his games in order for his team to be competitive. He likely wasn't happy when he had to sit for the second night of a back-to-back — Lakers coach Darvin Ham complimented his "passion" for the game prior to making the decision — but even more so, he wasn't happy to see his team perform the way they did down the stretch.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Los Angeles had the game put away. The arena was dead silent and the Spurs looked more and more out of it with every turnover, missed shot and broken-down defense. All it took, however, was a few shots to fall their way and they were back in it. Part of that was Wembanyama, but part of it was a lack of accountability by the Lakers.
When James shows back up to play on Friday, the Lakers won't get to play with that kind of effort. Not without hearing it from him, at least. His presence was certainly missed by Los Angeles Wednesday night, and was a large part of their near choke.
Wembanyama and the Spurs are going to have to bring even more on Friday.
3) San Antonio Can Look Like A Veteran Team ... Sometimes
The San Antonio Spurs playing competitively isn't a surprising thing to witness.
With as many losses as they have, there have been plenty of contests that the Spurs have given themselves a chance to win. Whether it was in Houston, hosting the Clippers the second time around, leading at halftime in Toronto or even leading Atlanta with eight minutes to go in the game, playing closely isn't new for Gregg Popovich's squad.
Facing the Lakers for the first of two games in a row at home was no exception. To start the game, San Antonio got out in front. It lost the lead fairly quickly, but it didn't lose the game. Not until the third quarter, anyway.
As time went on, Los Angeles began to separate itself from the Spurs and built a lead. A lead large enough, in fact, that the game seemed all-but officially over through the final two periods of play, especially at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
But as James watched from the sideline as the Lakers' 18-point lead dwindled to just eight, it was apparent that the Spurs switched into another gear. Suddenly, shots were falling, they were making smart passes and things were clicking. Wembanyama was taking charge, Branham was serving as a spark plug and the rotations were soundly competing. It was the kind of basketball half of the NBA envisioned when Wembanyama came to town — the type that would bring 50 wins to San Antonio.
Obviously, that hasn't been the case for the Spurs. They're far from figuring everything out, but they're getting there. They're learning.
Their loss to the Lakers proved that they have the potential to look and play like a veteran team ... sometimes. Now, the next step is turning sometimes into every time.
