First duel between Wembanyama and Holmgren

Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are the future of the NBA. There is no doubt about that and there is no doubt that they still have a long way to go. Wemby and Chet are in the up and coming zone.

In today’s photo, within a film shot at maximum speed, these two young people with endless limbs, set the expectation at the highest point, where the referee has to throw the ball for the initial jump with which they have the first dispute of the night. .

Before the duel that could mark the starting point of a rivalry that is projected to be historic, Wemby and Chet greet each other with a fist bump.

“I never had to look up on the initial jump,” Holmgren confessed in the preview of the game between Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs that was part of the Season Tournament. “Chet is a decisive player,” said Wembanyama as this first face-to-face in elite basketball approached.

That a choir of high school students is in charge of singing the United States anthem before the game at the Paycom Center, which sports the now characteristic colorful floor that identifies the games that are part of the qualification for the NBA Cup, is quite a sign. . Youth, that divine treasure, is one of the qualities that invite us to dream of a clash that will have epic episodes. Holmgren, at 21 years old, is playing his first season in the NBA after missing the 2022-2023 season due to a fracture in his right foot. Wembanyama, at only 19 years old, was the first choice in the last Draft and landed in the league with enormous expectations.

Although they stand out for their height, 2.16 meters for the American and 2.24 meters for the French, they are not assigned to defend each other. However, Wembanyama’s first conversion, in the first quarter, occurred in a situation in which they were tied: the Spurs player snubbed him with a strip, approached the rim and buried it. We never cease to be surprised by the ease with which Wemby handles the ball and puts it in the basket as if he were well below 3.05 meters.

This action invites us to the enthusiasm with which we prepare for this duel. However, it is just that: an illusion.

Just as it is striking that Wemby moves the ball with ease, the absence of a classic point guard or game generator in the Spurs leaves the Frenchman very exposed when he abuses the transfer and falls into the Thunder’s trap, which easily causes losses . . : five in total.

In the second quarter a clearer duel emerges: Holmgren attacks and Wembanyama defends in an obvious one-on-one. Chet manages to throw, clumsily, and misses. Small triumph for Victor.

While the Thunder player rests, the Spurs player summarizes his current situation in a sequence: he scores from mid-distance on one side and then attempts a block on the other, he is called for a foul and when he throws the ball to the ground they whistle the first technique of his career.

Holmgren doesn’t need to be such a protagonist. Oklahoma City’s collective game flows and incorporates Chet into its dynamic. Wembanyama lacks partners and therefore his shortcomings become more palpable.

At the end of the first half the Thunder escape. Holmgren beats Wembanyama in the race and defines a counterattack with a dunk. There will be no return.

While the teams rest at half-time, the Sandou Trio Russian Bar shows off their skills. A woman does pirouettes and balances on a bar held by her two partners. This long, thin element transmits to us the same fragility as Chet and Wemby’s bodies: any blow they receive makes them fear that their bones and joints will not be able to withstand it.

In the second half, when the difference widens, the duel loses appeal. Just one block from Wembanyama to Holmgren behind wakes us up from the drowsiness that is beginning to make the night very heavy.

The victory remains in the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder by 123 to 87. It is the third loss by at least 30 points for the San Antonio Spurs in the first eleven games of the season. And the sixth consecutive fall.

Wembanyama will leave frustrated, with a towel over his head, with an 8-point, 14-rebound performance that leaves little flavor. Holmgren, who did not repeat the previous greeting with his rival, will have contributed 9 points and 7 rebounds.

In the preview, the spotlight was on these two young people who will one day be stars, but the show was starred by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 28 points and a personal record of 7 steals.

Wemby and Chet are in the up and coming zone. They know it, their coaches know it and we know it. The whirlwind of time had invited us to believe that, on this first journey, we would see a spectacle like no other. Patience. It takes time to arrive and in the end there is a reward. There will be?