Three takeaways from Victor Wembanyama's disappointing NBA ...

LAS VEGAS -- What did we learn from Victor Wembanyama's disappointing debut for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA 2K24 Summer League?

The No. 1 overall pick made his anticipated first appearance in a Spurs uniform Friday night. He squared off against No. 2 pick Brandon Miller and the Charlotte Hornets in front of a sellout crowd at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center -- a crowd that cheered Wembanyama's every move at the start of the night. Once the game started, the crowd became less and less excited.

Wembanyama shot just 2-for-13 from the field, scoring nine points in 27 minutes while also contributing eight rebounds and five blocks in San Antonio's 76-68 win. It would be a mistake to read too much into a single game, especially in a summer league setting after a whirlwind two weeks since draft night.

We've seen other future stars start slowly in their summer debuts, such as Kevin Durant going 5-of-17 from the field in his first game with the Seattle SuperSonics as the No. 2 overall pick in 2007. With that in mind, let's go through the biggest takeaways from Wembanyama's debut.

In some ways, Friday night was the opposite of Wembanyama's last trip to the Las Vegas area. Squaring off against the G League Ignite and No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson last October, Wembanyama made seven 3-pointers -- many of them with a high degree of difficulty -- en route to 37 points in the first showcase for NBA scouts and media.

That game offered viewers a misleading impression of Wembanyama's ability to make difficult shots on a consistent basis. He shot just 27.5% on 171 3-point attempts playing for Metropolitans 92 in France last season. On Friday, those same attempts were wide of the mark, with Wembanyama air balling a 3 and putting another one off the backboard on the far side of the rim.

When Wembanyama did make a 3-pointer late in the game, drawing a foul in the process for a four-point play, it came on a more conventional pick-and-pop opportunity rather than off the dribble.

Going forward, we can expect better shot-making by Wembanyama inside the arc. He saw multiple attempts off the dribble against smaller defenders -- and they're all smaller defenders for the 7-foot-3½ Wembanyama -- bounce in and out.

Wembanyama's first summer league score came as part of an and-1 when he was able to establish deep post position against Charlotte guard James Bouknight in transition. Taking advantage of the near 11-inch height difference with the 6-5 Bouknight, Wembanyama finished off glass and drew a foul for the three-point play. That's the kind of play Wembanyama can make on a regular basis by running the court hard.

No, the court itself isn't much different from the FIBA version on which Wembanyama starred in his native France, aside from the 3-point line a few inches further back and the addition of the no-charge circle. But the size and athleticism of NBA defenders alters what Wembanyama is able to do, particularly off the dribble.

As compared to the fluid style we saw Wembanyama play for Metropolitans 92 last season, he was evidently thinking about what to do with the ball on Friday. He drove into crowds for two of his three turnovers and narrowly avoided a couple of others when the ball was deflected away, but the Spurs were able to recover.

Those turnovers are likely to turn into positive plays as Wembanyama better understands how he can and cannot attack defenses. The best part of Wembanyama's offensive game on Friday was his passing. He drove hard to the rim in transition, drawing the defense and setting up frontcourt mate Dominick Barlow for a dunk with a left-handed pass as one of his three assists.

It didn't go into the box score, but I also liked Wembanyama finding rookie center Charles Bediako in the paint after a crossover move on the perimeter. Bediako drew a shooting foul on the play. Assuming opposing teams put their biggest players on Wembanyama, it will leave smaller help defenders trying to make plays when he's able to draw defensive attention off the dribble.

Whatever his learning curve might be on offense, Wembanyama will walk into the league as a difference-maker on defense thanks to his size and mobility. Don't be fooled by a couple of defensive lowlights on Friday when he was on the wrong end of a Kai Jones poster and a juke move by Miller.

In fact, both plays showed the breadth of Wembanyama's defensive tool kit. He spent much of the second half matching up with the 6-9 Miller, chasing the No. 2 pick around the perimeter in a way no other player his size would attempt. On Jones' throw-in, Wembanyama was asked to help on ball handler Nick Smith Jr. and then recover to the uber-athletic Jones -- something only the league's best pick-and-roll defenders accomplish.

Even as he was getting his NBA bearings, Wembanyama blocked five shots, spiking an ill-advised drive by Bryce McGowens and sending away a Tre Scott attempt with his left hand -- or possibly elbow. We also saw one of Wembanyama's blocks on the perimeter that could prove a specialty, as he rejected a Miller 3-point attempt in the first half.

Wembanyama's length is a plus on the glass as well. He pulled down eight rebounds, which doesn't even account for a play where he was able to reach over -- way over -- Jones' back in order to tip away a missed free throw from outside position. That effort resulted in a foul on Jones.

Naturally, there's still room for development on defense. He needs to improve his core strength so players can't bump him off his spot while driving, something McGowens did in drawing a shooting foul. At times, Wembanyama was overly aggressive when he was late to the play, resulting in a pair of and-1s for Charlotte.

We'll see whether Wembanyama plays on Sunday (San Antonio-Portland, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2) in Las Vegas or is shut down in order to prepare for the grind of the regular season. Either way, it's reasonable to expect there won't be many nights like Friday ahead as part of Wembanyama's development.