The New Orleans Pelicans-San Antonio Spurs was a highly anticipated fixture as Zion Williamson and Victor Wembanyama were to match up against each other for the first time. Unfortunately, the contest didn’t live up to its hype, with the Pelicans blowing out their opposition 146-110. However, it was lovely to hear Williamson dish out some advice to Wemby during the postgame press conference.
Advertisement
After leading the Pels to defeat the Spurs, Williamson left some advice for Victor Wembanyama. Initially, Zion spoke about his fellow #1 pick having a great group of people around him. After commending the French phenom for his company, Williamson advised Wemby to “keep focusing on his craft”.
“I actually spoke to his pops two summers straight when I was in Paris. He has a great corner. He has great people around him. My advice to him is just keep focusing on your craft. I mean, you didn’t get that hype for no reason. So just keep focusing on your craft, keep your head on straight, and you’ll be fine,” Williamson revealed.
The former Duke Blue Devil also commented on the 7ft 4” big man’s game. Calling the center a “nightmare matchup”, Williamson even explained the harrowing details of defending the 2023 Rookie of the Year contender.
Zion Williamson and co. uprooted the Victor Wembanyama-led Spurs
The Zion Williamson-Victor Wembanyama was slightly underwhelming yet extremely promising in potential. Wemby produced a solid 17-point, 13-rebound double-double along with 4 assists and 4 blocks. On the other hand, Williamson recorded 15 points and 8 rebounds to have a decent contribution to NOLA’s 36-point victory.
The New Orleans Pelicans had a great overall performance. While CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram led the team with their combined 55-point effort, all players who took on the floor had a positive impact. As seven players scored in double-digits, only 2 out of 12 players had a negative box plus-minus.
Gregg Popovich didn’t mince his words while talking about the humiliating defeat. Coming off a huge victory against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Spurs were expected to put up a great fight. However, that didn’t seem to be the case. The Spurs looked tired and uninspired. Coach Pop was extremely critical of his team’s performance.
Going up against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night, the Spurs will hope to begin their three-game road trip on a winning note.
