Kai Jones puts Victor Wembanyama on poster during NBA Summer League
Victor Wembanyama, welcome to the NBA. On Friday, former Texas standout Kai Jones posterized the 2023 NBA Draft No. 1 pick in the teams’ first matchup at this year’s NBA Summer League.
Jones caught Wembanyama lacking as he was guarding a pick-and-roll. Before the 7-foot-5 standout could blink, he was in Jones’ shadow. The baptizing slam threw Wembanyama into the baseline press, falling over like a freshly-born giraffe.
To make matters worse, the highlight play happened while Spurs general manager Brian Jones talked with ESPN’s commentary team. He wasn’t talking for long after the dunk.
In fairness, Jones is a unicorn himself. The Hornets’ big is 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, boosting a 40-inch vertical. Additionally, Jones has experience on his side, with two years in the NBA under his belt.
Jones hasn’t exactly been a human highlight reel at a professional level. The Bahamas native has averaged just 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in his young NBA career. On the bright side, Jones’ minutes significantly increased from three to 12 minutes a game last year.
It’s also important to note offense isn’t Jones’ specialty, and it never has been. While at Texas, Jones averages a mere averaged 3.6 points and 3.2 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game. Yet, he led the team with 30 blocked shots. Jones must carve out a similar role to excel in the NBA.
Despite Jones getting an upper hand on Wembanyama on Friday night, the Spurs came out on top, defeating the Hornets 76-68. Jones finished with seven points and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes. Wembanyama dropped nine points and eight rebounds while shooting 2-13 from the field and 1-6 from beyond the arc.
Although Wembanyama’s first NBA Summer League game didn’t go according to plan, all signs say he’ll be just fine. The Frenchman likely faced some first-game jitters, especially considering he was facing the No. 2 pick, Brandon Miller.
During the contest, the former Alabama star discussed going head-to-head with the highly-touted Wembanyama.
“I love it out here, man,” Miller told ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth. “Makes it kind of exciting that he’s actually guarding me. Just competing at a high level, having fun with it. I know he’s going to get his. I feel like it’s going to be a great game overall.”
More great games will be played on Saturday as the NBA Summer League continues. The Heat and Celtics will kick off the packed day at 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast on NBA TV.