Widely considered the favorite to win both the Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2026/27, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama got off to a slow start on Tuesday, shooting a career-worst 7.7% (1-of-13) from the floor in a home loss to Oklahoma City, notes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.
“I need to go back to playing the basketball I like,” Wembanyama said after the game. “This is not the sport I like right here. I’ve got no reason to be hesitant, no reason to not be myself. I’m good when I have fun. I missed a lot of shots I usually don’t miss. But after that, I didn’t go back to these shots, and I wasn’t decisive. I might be overthinking it. I don’t need to do more. I need to think less probably.”
As Wright details, after shying away from the Wembanyama matchup during their playoff series in the spring, Thunder big man Chet Holmgren had a more “assertive, physical” performance against the Spurs star on Tuesday, while rookie Aday Mara had some good moments too, including blocking a Wembanyama dunk attempt on an alley-oop pass.
Still, Wembanyama found other ways to impact the game, racking up 13 rebounds and six blocked shots of his own, and his teammates and head coach downplayed his shooting woes after the loss.
“I think everybody struggled pretty equally,” Mitch Johnson said. “I know his field goal (percentage) will stand out, but we all participated in that one.”
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
Sidelined since the Grizzlies’ first preseason game due to a left ankle sprain, big man Isaiah Stewart is the only player listed on the team’s injury report for Wednesday’s regular season opener vs. Utah, as Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. Stewart is considered doubtful to play. “He’s doing well,” head coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “He’s progressing right on the timetable. He’s exactly where we expected him to be. He’s in very good spirits. Very positive.”
Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet and center Steven Adams, who are both coming off lengthy injury absences last season, won’t play both ends of back-to-backs to open the season, head coach Ime Udoka said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Will Guillory of The Athletic). According to Udoka, offseason addition Marcus Smart will start at the point when VanVleet is inactive.
In addition to Dereck Lively II and Tarik Biberovic, Mavericks forwards Santi Aldama (right knee surgery recovery) and Caleb Martin (right thumb sprain) have been ruled out for Wednesday’s regular season opener vs. Houston, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Head coach Dusty May said earlier this week that Aldama is “getting very close” to returning.
Rashad Milligan of NOLA.com (subscription required) poses five questions that the Pelicans must answer in their first season under new head coach Jamahl Mosley, including how much better the defense can be and whether the roster features enough size. Meanwhile, in a NOLA.com feature, Rod Walker examines Zion Williamson’s ongoing efforts to emerge as the superstar that many NBA observers expected him to become when he was drafted first overall in 2019.