Victor Wembanyama finally made his much-anticipated 2023 NBA Summer League debut on Friday night, playing 27 minutes for the San Antonio Spurs as they claimed a 77-68 win over the Charlotte Hornets. However, his debut fell way short of expectations relative to the hype many had built up around the 19-year old Frenchman.

Wembanyama shot just 2-13 from the field, which isn't ideal for a small guard, much less a 7'3 unicorn, and the eye test didn't exactly look too promising either, as he seemed to lack the dominating physical presence one would expect from a man of his size.

Nevertheless, those who work with Victor Wembanyama on a closer level have a contrasting viewpoint to that of the dominant opinion regarding the Spurs rookie's rough Summer League outing. As Spurs Summer League head coach Matt Nielsen pointed out, Wembanyama “did good” when taking into consideration all the factors that affected his output on Friday night.

“He did good. I mean I think all in all he did a good job,” Nielsen said during his postgame presser, per Carolina Teague of SB Nation's Pounding The Rock. “Obviously, there's a lot of attention on him, you can talk about the outside stuff. But, the physicality, that was something that tonight obviously wound him up as it would. I thought he navigated it for the most part pretty well.”

Article Continues Below
More San Antonio Spurs News
Dylan Harper stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the second pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
Dylan Harper’s mom goes viral at 2025 NBA Draft after Spurs selectionGuillermo Guajardo ·
Carter Bryant stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the 14th pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
Why Spurs strike NBA Draft gold again with Carter BryantHector Ledesma ·
Dylan Harper stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the second pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
Victor Wembanyama calls Dylan Harper after Spurs’ No. 2 pickLorenzo J Reyna ·
Spurs news: Dylan Harper a roller-coaster ride of emotions after going No. 2
Spurs’ Dylan Harper a roller-coaster ride of emotions after going No. 2Dylan Fine ·
Dylan Harper stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the second pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
The unique way Dylan Harper can meet high expectations with SpursHector Ledesma ·
Dylan Harper stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the second pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
Spurs pick Dylan Harper’s dad Ron wants to know best cigar bar in San AntonioRexwell Villas ·

Surely the words of a coach who has worked tirelessly with Victor Wembanyama are more worth listening to than that of the average fan. And Nielsen certainly has a point, especially when Wembanyama is just acclimating himself not only to the style of play in the NBA, but also to playing alongside the other Spurs youngsters.

“With all the outside stuff, and now the first time playing with his teammates… you can see his basketball IQ is elite,” Nielsen added, per Nate Ryan of KENS5 – San Antonio.

Even with Wembanyama's physical tools, nothing is a given in the NBA. And at the very least, the Spurs rookie knows that there is a steep learning curve ahead of him. But knowing his talent and makeup, Wembanyama shouldn't have any problems with learning from his mistakes.