Is Victor Wembanyama playing tonight against Lakers (5th July 2023)? Looking at Spurs' No. 1 draft pick's debut game

The debut of Victor Wembanyama is one of the most highly-anticipated events right now with the incredible upside that he has showcased.

Wembanyama was sidelined in the Spurs' first preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets. He won't be available in the Spurs' final California Classic Summer League game. The matchup is against the LA Lakers.

The Spurs are taking a cautious approach with the center as he is fresh off playing a finals series back home with the Metropolitans 92 in France. The approach was explained by Spurs assistant coach Matt Nielsen, as reported by Fidel Rubio for AS.com.

“He has had a lot going on over the last couple of weeks," Nielsen said, "finishing his own Finals series in France and everything else after that. The plan is he won’t come with us to Sacramento, but he’ll be ready to go in Vegas. When we leave to go to Sac, he’ll stay here and get workouts. He’s a fantastic basketball player. He can do a lot of things."

Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are eyeing July 7 as his first Summer League game. It will be in Las Vegas for the NBA 2K24 Summer League in a matchup against the Charlotte Hornets.

The game itself is a must-watch as it will feature a head-to-head meeting between the No.1 pick Victor Wembanyama and No.2 pick Brandon Miller.

Another anticipated duel will be against the No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson from the Portland Trail Blazers, which is scheduled on July 9.

Comparing Victor Wembanyama's stats with Metropolitans 92 (2022-23 season) and Brandon Miller's stats with Alabama Crimson Tide (2022-23 season)

During the 2022-23 season for the Metropolitans 92, Victor Wembanyama averaged 21.6 points per game (47.0% shooting, including 27.5% from 3-point range) and 10.4 rebounds.

Victor Wembanyama is listed at 7-foot-2 and plays as a center. However, he plays more like a modern big man who has a reliable jumper from anywhere in the perimeter. His rebounding game is elite and has also made tremendous strides in his defense.

Meanwhile, for Brandon Miller with the Alabama Crimson Tide, he averaged 18.8 ppg (43.0% shooting, including 38.4% from 3-point range) and 8.2 rebounds.

Miller is listed at 6-9 and plays as a forward. He plays in a similar fashion to Kevin Durant. He has a 6-11 wingspan that enables him to shoot over most defenders. Miller is also a sniper from 3-point range as he shoots it with tremendous accuracy. However, he still needs to put in some work in being able to score under the basket as his size can be a mismatch for defenses.