3 Things Spurs fans should watch closely in Victor Wembanyama's debut

Anticipation is in the air as Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are only hours away from taking centerstage at a sold-out Thomas & Mack Center for their Las Vegas Summer League opener. The number one overall pick sat out of the California Classic for some much-needed rest after a long season with Metropolitans 92, but he is ready to suit up in Silver and Black and join his teammates for a primetime matchup against the Charlotte Hornets.

Basketball fans have patiently waited to witness Wembanyama set foot on the hardwood, and he will be under a microscope as he logs his first unofficial NBA minutes. Everyone has seen the audacious step-back threes and resounding alley-oops that fill his countless highlight reels across the internet, but what else should the Spurs faithful be on the lookout for when the Parisian sensation sets a new era in motion for their proud franchise on Friday night?

1.) How does his rim protection translate?

Wembanyama is fresh off a historically dominant season with Metropolitans 92, where he led the LNB Pro A in points, rebounds, and blocks as a teenager. Despite his ludicrous per-game production and a finals appearance in one of the best professional leagues in the world, the 7-foot-3 center has several adjustments ahead of him as he prepares for all the intricate changes that come with taking his once-in-a-lifetime talents stateside.

The 19-year-old phenom has played in France for the entirety of his basketball career, and while FIBA rules have allowed him to snatch balls off the rim and camp out inside the paint, those luxuries are off limits in the NBA. Though there is no doubt Wembanyama has been brushing up on the three-second violation and goaltending guidelines, it would be tough to blame him for reverting to old habits during his unnoficial debut for the Spurs.