Si:am | Victor Wembanyama Drops 40 As Spurs Spoil Cooper Flagg’s Debut

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In today’s SI:AM: 
🏀 Billups apprehension connected gambling charges
🤯 Wemby’s monster opener
🏈 NFL waste and acquisition needs

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Victor Wembanyama vs. Cooper Flagg whitethorn extremity up being 1 of nan awesome rivalries successful this era of nan NBA, but it was wholly one-sided connected Wednesday night. 

The  Mavericks met their intrastate rival, nan Spurs, past nighttime successful Dallas for Flagg’s regular-season master debut, but it was Wembanyama who emerged connected apical successful this conflict of No. 1 picks. Wembanyama scored 40 points connected 15-for-21 shooting pinch 15 rebounds, 3 blocks and nary turnovers successful a 125–92 Spurs win. Flagg had 10 points connected 4-for-13 shooting pinch 10 rebounds and 3 turnovers. 

Wembanyama (7'4") is nan tallest subordinate since 1994 to person astatine slightest 40 points successful 30 minutes of action aliases fewer. (Rik Smits is nan only different subordinate of Wembanyama’s tallness to execute that feat.) He’s besides 1 of conscionable six players successful NBA history to people that galore points successful that small playing clip without hitting aggregate three-pointers. 

Wembanyama’s excellence tin ne'er genuinely beryllium captured successful a container score. Sure, 40 points successful 30 minutes is very impressive, but it’s been accomplished successful caller years by players for illustration Immanuel Quickley, Brandon Ingram and Trey Murphy III. What makes Wemby truthful overmuch nosy to watch is nan truth that he does things we’ve ne'er seen anyone other do connected a hoops court. Calling nan crippled past nighttime connected ESPN, Ryan Ruocco referred to Wembanyama’s “cosmic grace.” Broadcast partner Jay Bilas went a different route: “It’s for illustration playing against your dada successful nan driveway erstwhile you’re 8 years old. What do you do?”

Perhaps Wembanyama’s champion play of nan nighttime whitethorn person travel precocious successful nan first quarter.. Mavericks halfway Dereck Lively II did a bully occupation closing retired connected Wembanyama arsenic he thought astir trying a three-pointer. So instead, Wemby passed to rookie Dylan Harper and instantly trim toward nan basket. Harper passed it correct backmost and Wembanyama threw down a dunk each complete Lively. 

The champion plays Wembanyama makes are ever nan ones wherever he displays nan athleticism of a overmuch smaller player. Like this one, wherever he fooled Lively pinch a crossover, stepped backmost and drilled a three-pointer (while drafting a foul). Or this one, wherever he calmly dribbled into nan area while being hounded by a defender and deed a fadeaway jumper. 

Wembanyama has been making plays for illustration that since he entered nan convention successful 2023. The quality now is that he’s making them much often and much consistently. He said aft nan crippled that he’s emotion amended than he ever has.

“I’m overmuch much successful power of myself,” he said. “The mind, I’m not worried about, because I saw what it was for illustration to beryllium confronted pinch perchance losing a lot, whether it’s your profession aliases your health. So I’m not taking this for granted anymore. The body, I’m having much fun. I’m not struggling to move arsenic overmuch and I cognize I still request to get amended and I’m still going to get better.”

Wembanyama’s sophomore play was trim short by a humor clot successful his correct shoulder, which put a damper connected nan advancement nan Spurs were making. After going 22–60 successful Wembanyama’s rookie play (the aforesaid grounds arsenic nan play successful which they landed nan No. 1 prime to draught him), nan Spurs were 23–29 erstwhile he was unopen down. They went 11–19 nan remainder of nan way. 

With Wembanyama patient again, nan Spurs tin yet scope their afloat potential. They took a large plaything past play successful trading for De’Aaron Fox, but he and Wembanyama only played 5 games together earlier Wembanyama’s play ended. Fox missed nan opener pinch a hamstring wounded that isn’t considered serious. Soon, he’ll beryllium backmost connected nan level pinch Wembanyama, reigning Rookie of nan Year Stephon Castle, No. 2 prime Harper, sharpshooter Devin Vassell and others. That’s bad news for nan remainder of nan league. 

The champion of Sports Illustrated

… things I saw past night: 
5. A extremity correct disconnected nan faceoff for nan Devils’ Arseni Gritsyuk. 
4. A stepback dagger for Anthony Edwards. (He vanished pinch 41 points successful nan Timberwolves’ triumph complete nan Trailblazers.)
3. An astonishing reverse layup by Cooper Flagg. 
2. A awesome save by Flames goalie Dustin Wolf contempt playing successful nan dark. (Lighting issues successful Calgary delayed nan commencement of nan crippled for astir 10 minutes earlier nan officials decided to commencement nan crippled successful dimly lit conditions.)
1. Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe’s 34 points successful his debut. That’s the astir points successful nan first crippled of a player’s profession since Wilt Chamberlain. Edgecombe had 14 points successful nan first quarter, breaking a grounds antecedently group by LeBron James (12) for nan astir points successful nan first 4th of a player’s first game. (Quarter-by-quarter stats person been tracked since nan 1996–97 season.)