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Star sophomore Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs went up against a seasoned Miami Heat squad in their second-to-last preseason game. After taking on younger teams in the OKC Thunder, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz, the Spurs traveled to Kaseya Center in Miami to face Jimmy Butler and his veteran crew.
The Spurs had won two of their three preseason games before this matchup. They narrowly lost to the Thunder by five points but bounced back with a 10-point win over the Magic and a six-point victory over the Jazz. However, the Heat ended their winning streak, defeating Wembanyama’s squad 120-117.
Despite being on a minutes restriction, Victor Wembanyama made an impact during his 16 minutes and 44 seconds of play, contributing on both offense and defense. His stats from the Heat game are below:
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Jeremy Sochan led the Spurs in their losing effort, recording 18 points and 11 rebounds. Chris Paul also had his first double-digit scoring game with the Spurs, finishing with 13 points and five assists.
Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes added to the Spurs’ offense with 15 and 10 points, respectively.
Victor Wembanyama talks about expanding his game
Wembanyama, who had an outstanding rookie season averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game, earning him the Rookie of the Year award, spoke recently about his desire for growth.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Wembanyama emphasized the importance of expanding his game.
“For me, it’s the only solution,” Wembanyama said. “Expanding my game is not thinking twice when you want to do something crazy. I don’t think I’ve had one game where I really applied everything. Not one.”
The Frenchman said he aspires to be a versatile player on the court, not limited to any single role.
“I want eventually to have a wide variety of tools that I’ve really mastered. I don’t want to have a role on the court. I don’t want to be the shot blocker. I don’t want to be the scorer. I don’t want to be the playmaker. I want to be all of this at once,” he added.
To support Victor Wembanyama’s growth in his second NBA season, the San Antonio Spurs have strengthened their roster by adding key veterans Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, along with rookie Stephon Castle, as they aim to improve on last season’s 22-60 record.
Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro