In a demonstration of absolute dominance, Victor Wembanyama shone at the American Airlines Center, making it clear that his transformation during the summer has made him an unstoppable force. The young prodigy of the San Antonio Spurs led his team to a resounding 125-92 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, showing an improved version of himself both physically and mentally.
Wembanyama: A Triumphant Return
After eight months and eleven days of absence from the NBA, Wembanyama returned to the court with a stellar performance that included 40 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks, without committing any turnovers and with an impressive 70% field goal percentage. This performance made him the first player since the 1977-78 season to achieve such numbers. His 40 points also represent the most for a player in a season-opening game in the history of the San Antonio franchise.
“Much more in control of myself. The body? I have more fun now that it doesn’t cost me so much to move. I know I still need to improve and I will continue to improve,” declared Wembanyama.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson praised Wembanyama’s performance, highlighting the astonishing number of zero turnovers as one of the most impressive aspects of his game.
From the start of the game, Wembanyama demonstrated his superiority over the Mavericks’ starting lineup, scoring 11 points and blocking a shot in the first quarter. His spectacular plays included a dunk over Cooper Flagg and an assist for Dylan Harper, culminating in a two-handed dunk over Dereck Lively II.
“The guy is 7-3. I think some of the officiating calls were a little questionable. But when he’s 7-3 and standing in front of you, nobody’s going to block a shot. He’s shooting over the top. At that point, you’re just praying he misses,” Anthony Davis commented on Wembanyama.
The chemistry between Wembanyama and Stephon Castle was evident, as both players collaborated on 42 of the Spurs’ 60 points in the first half. Castle highlighted the importance of teamwork and studying plays to improve their understanding on the court.
“It’s just a lot of repetition, a lot of watching film together,” Castle said. “I feel like that helps and gets overlooked a lot. Being able to watch film with a guy that you’re going to run a lot of pick-and-rolls with and have a lot of transition points definitely helped. Being able to know where he likes the ball with a double team, where they’re going to come from. Man, we’ve been working on that all summer and it’s starting to take shape.”
Wembanyama continued his dominance in the third quarter, scoring 10 points and completing a four-point play that extended the Spurs’ lead to 14 points. Cooper Flagg, acknowledged the difficulty of facing Wembanyama, describing him as a different player and highlighting the need to improve the defensive strategy to stop him.
With a 30-point lead, Wembanyama was substituted, at which point he reflected on his hard work during the summer and the importance of preparation and teamwork.
“I felt like I was in my place. We felt like there was nothing more we could have done to help ourselves today. We felt like we did everything we needed to do. We felt ready and we felt like we wouldn’t regret the things we should have worked on or the things we should have done in the summer. I felt comfortable with the work we did and with the preparation up to this point. Now all the dice are cast in the Western Conference,” concluded Wembanyama.
