The San Antonio Spurs lost their 2023-2024 NBA regular season opener against the New York Knicks 105-126 on Monday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The loss was highlighted by a poor performance from Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Wembanyama played over 30 minutes on the night, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds, and two assists. He didn’t make a single three-pointer and shot just 28.6% (4-of-14) from the field. The offensive margin was -25, the worst on the team.레모나토토
Wembanyama’s shooting woes began in the first quarter, as he struggled from the perimeter and failed to convert. In the end, Wembanyama only made two free throws in the first quarter. He warmed up in the fourth quarter and scored eight points, but the game was already out of reach.
Wembanyama also had a disappointing performance in his last game against the Indiana Pacers. Back then, he had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. However, he shot just 25.0% (3-of-12) from the field. This was Wembanyama’s second consecutive poor performance.
San Antonio’s losing streak is also getting longer. The Spurs started off strong, winning both games of a two-game series against the powerhouse Phoenix Suns. However, they have since dropped three straight games to fall to 3-5.
Still, Wembanyama wasn’t disappointed, noting that it’s a learning process.
“I don’t think it’s a big deal,” Wembanyama said in his post-match interview. We are in the process of learning. Any team, even a young team, goes through tough times like losing streaks at some point in the season. The most important thing is resilience. We have to focus on how we bounce back.”
San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich wasn’t too bothered by Wembanyama’s streak.
“Victor Wembanyama is a 19-year-old rookie who is just adjusting to the NBA. He’s a 19-year-old rookie who’s just getting used to the NBA, and this is another learning experience for him.”
San Antonio’s next game is an in-season tournament against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 11. It will be interesting to see if Wembanyama can take what he has learned from his slump and prove his worth on the court.