Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren set the stage for an exciting preseason showdown

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Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren set the stage for an exciting preseason showdown

Washington, D.C. Victor Wembanyama had a little strange routine.


On Monday, the rookie for the San Antonio Spurs did not take his usual noon siesta between practices or before games. It was almost time for his first NBA preseason match. It was just not the same as he lay in bed.

Wembanyama admitted, "I took a nap, but I couldn't sleep."
After playing his first preseason minutes as a Spurs member, Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall choice in this year's draft, expressed his joy. He claimed that since the Spurs' trip to Oklahoma City on Sunday to play the Thunder, he had been filled with a burning desire.

Not only was it Wembanyama's first season, but it was also Chet Holmgren's preseason debut as the No. 2 choice in the 2022 draft. Holmgren’s right foot Lisfranc injury kept him out of action for the entire previous season.

Although Holmgren and the Thunder lost 122-121, they demonstrated their abilities in the brief time they were on the floor, beginning with the opening tip.

From the beginning, Holmgren took the initiative, driving from the top of the key and making contact to earn many trips to the free throw line.

After a putback slam off a free throw over Holmgren, Wembanyama scored his first points. Wembanyama stayed to his left, stopping Holmgren's attempt to box him out and get the ball on that side of the rim for a putback.
Primarily responsible for covering perimeter defenders, Wembanyama let opportunities go by, resulting in two easy baskets, one of which saw him draw a foul on Holmgren.

"They engaged in a few exchanges and it was fascinating," Spurs manager Gregg Popovich remarked. "It shows their character, their competitiveness and they did it within reason."Neither player was making poor shots, nor were they attempting to hurt the other in any way. The basketball gods will concur that it was fundamental basketball. Watching them over their careers will be a lot of joy for everyone.

Wembanyama displayed his shooting prowess in the second quarter, sinking a triple off a dribble in the inbounds play from the top of the key and another from the same spot after a pass.

Wembanyama scored with a deft pump fake at the 3-point line, two dribbles to his right, a spin move back into the lane, a jumper, and an underhanded scoop layup with his left hand around Holmgren in what was possibly his best offensive play of the game.

"I'm just freestyling," Wembanyama responded when asked how he approached the play. "Reading and making decisions, I believe it is. Knowing that there would be a double-team every time I broke through, I simply twisted away."

Wembanyama had only two points in his six-minute third-quarter cameback, but he ended up with 20 points on 8 of 13 shooting, 2 of 5 from long range, and 2 of 3 free throws, along with five rebounds, two steals, and a block. It was a much quieter second half for him.

With 14 points and seven rebounds in his first eight minutes of play, Holmgren got off to a fast start in the first quarter.

Within less than sixteen minutes, the Thunder big scored twenty-one points (7 of ten) and pulled down nine rebounds.

Two of the top three favorites for rookie of the year, according to Caesar's Sportsbook, are Wembanyama and Holmgren. Holmgren is third at +275, and Wembanyama is at -190 odds. Second at +225 is Scoot Henderson of the Portland Trail Blazers.

In their previous meeting, Wembanyama and Holmgren played for France and the United States, respectively, in the FIBA U-19 World Cup in 2021. Wembanyama finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 blocks, but the United States prevailed 83-81.

That was the first time Holmgren—who was named the tournament's MVP—and Wembanyama had a falling out, and Monday's matchup will most likely not be the last.

"It was good, personally, I was feeling good like I had a lot of energy," said Wembanyama. "In the first half, I thought he had injured us.

"And I know it's just preseason, but for sure the games against OKC are going to be interesting."