Too many familiar problems ruined Wembanyama's Team France debut vs. Nikola Jokic

Exhibition games are meant to be another form of practice, so we won't jump on Team France's back too much, but that was a disappointing performance. The Victor Wembanyama/Rudy Gobert-led squad lost a close game to Team Serbia, 90-87, and any Spurs fans watching probably dealt with some brutal flashbacks.

It was like watching San Antonio during Vic's rookie and sophomore seasons. Not enough assertiveness in the paint from the 7'4" guy as he floats around on the perimeter. Too much ISO ball-handling and ill-advised passing, leading to turnovers. Worst of all, his teammates repeatedly missed him when he did get into the lane, or they just flat-out looked him off.

Where have we seen that before?

Wembanyama still has to be more aggressive in the paint

Victor's offensive game is where the most growth is required. As dominant as he can be on any given night, there's still a ton of untapped potential waiting to be discovered. That's what everyone is waiting for, but it's going to require him to play with more force inside and, clearly, a better cast of guards willing to throw the ball in the air.

Wemby did what he does best out there: He made plays on the defensive end, racking up multiple steals and blocks. But Nikola Jokic is still the best offensive player in the world, and that matchup in particular still gives Vic trouble.

He was only called for a couple of fouls, but both came against the Joker, who finished with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. Wembanyama blocked his shot twice, but nobody who watched the full game would say the Spurs' star won the head-to-head today.

Nikola Jokic remains a nightmare matchup for Wemby

In seven NBA games vs. Wemby, Jokic averages 37 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists. He's the reigning Defensive Player of the Year's toughest cover in the league. The trends of that matchup continued today, but they were made worse when Team France didn't play to their best player's strengths.

Again, this is what exhibition games are for in FIBA competition. It's just like the preseason, so guys are going to make mistakes. Now, it's on the coach to review the film with his players and make the proper adjustments. They'll see Serbia again on August 23 for a second warm-up match, but it's on to the qualifiers after that, so they'd better clean it up fast.

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