AUSTIN, TX – Prior to the commencement of a season that is anticipated to be filled with firsts, San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama had an occasion on Wednesday.
It arrived later than I anticipated, he remarked. But in the end, I’m relieved that Gregg Popovich, the Spurs coach, shouted at me.
Wembanyama took part in his second training camp workout despite being lost in the new language and information overload that had taken over the club’s new, expansive practice facilities. San Antonio’s rejection to set restrictions on how it would use him in 2023–2024 gave him comfort.
“There are actually no restrictions. It truly depends on where you are on many set plays, on many plays. Both the point guard and the wing positions are options for me. It makes no difference.
The youngster acknowledged that it was challenging to comprehend all that was being thrown at him by a staff that is emphasizing this season that winning ranks as highly as growth did only a year ago.
All the knowledge, the new set of plays, and the principles are arriving quickly, according to Wembanyama. There is a ton of unknown and unfamiliar material here. It’s challenging. When you’re on the court, you need to remain concentrated because if you look away for even a single second, you’re done for the following 15 seconds.
The French superstar immediately discovered how a moment of distraction causes the entire squad to execute full-court sprints to the line. Wembanyama admitted he hasn’t yet added any extra conditioning for the Spurs.
Due to the nearly positionless style of play the Spurs plan to employ with the 19-year-old as the focal point, he is already getting plenty of it mentally.
How to use the No. 1 overall pick was discussed by Popovich as one of the “really cool questions we get to answer” during training camp on Monday during media day. The roster already brims with variety with to 2019 NBA Draft pick Keldon Johnson, 2020 first-round pick Devin Vassell, and 2022 No. 9 overall pick Jeremy Sochan.
Over the course of just two practice sessions, Wembanyama discovers that he has already taken over some of their duties.
He said, “It just goes without saying that I’m playing the same role as [point guard] Tre Jones, [center] Zach Collins, and [guard-forward] Devin Vassell sometimes.”
Wembanyama pointed out that during the first two days of camp, the Spurs refrained from “too much experimentation” with lineups and said that now truly isn’t the time for that. Doug McDermott, a seasoned forward, did, however, give a cryptic preview of what’s to come.
