NBA Summer League 2023: What are the best games to watch? Wembanyama vs. Miller, Thompson vs. Thompson

If you are a basketball junkie like me, then you can’t get enough of the game. Even when it’s the NBA’s offseason, we are still talking, thinking and living basketball. That’s why we have to take advantage of the precious moments that lay ahead of us in the next few weeks, because after that we step into a dry, arid era of no ball until the FIBA World Cup at the end of August.

Hype surrounding Wemby

The NBA Summer League starts on Friday, July 7th in Las Vegas and as you probably know if you follow the game even in the offseason, this is setting up to be one of the most exciting Summer Leagues of all time. There are some can’t miss matchups between top talent from this year’s rookie class.

There hasn’t been a rookie as hyped as Frenchman Victor Wembanyama since LeBron James in 2003. The 7′5″ swingman has been tabbed as the top pick in the 2023 draft for the last two or three years. The San Antonio Spurs got the right to draft him after winning the NBA Lottery and it’s now time to show what all the hype is about.

It’s still unknown how much Wembanyama will play in the Summer League because he is coming off of a long French League season in which his team Metropolitans 92 made it to the Championship which went into mid June. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters that Wemby will play in some capacity, but the extent is still unknown.

Top 5 picks will get real familiar

So without question each and every one of the Spurs games are going to be must see TV just incase we see a little bit of Wembanaya. There are two particular matchups that are of special interest on the schedule. The first one in Vegas will be against the Hornets and their No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller. The second can’t miss will be the next game when the Spurs play the Portland Trail Blazers who just drafted Scoot Henderson with the third pick in the draft. San Antonio’s four game will be against Detroit where Wemby will be squaring up against No. 5 overall pick Ausar Thompson and the Detroit Pistons.

Here is a list of games that the Spurs will be playing in Las Vegas:

Fri 7/7/23 Charlotte vs. San Antonio 9:00 PM ESPN

Sun 7/9/23 San Antonio vs. Portland 8:00 PM ESPN2

Tue 7/11/23 Washington vs. San Antonio 10:30 PM NBA TV

Fri 7/14/23 San Antonio vs. Detroit 8:30 PM NBA TV

Speaking of the Ausar Thompson, he will be squaring up against his twin brother Amen for the first time ever as the Pistons and the Houston Rockets tip off on Sunday. Before that Amen and Houston will tip off the tournament taking on Scoot Jackson and the Trail Blazers.

Fri 7/7/23 Portland vs. Houston 7:00 PM ESPN

Sun 7/9/23 Detroit vs. Houston 6:00 PM ESPN2

Houston will also take on Oklahoma City, who are basically debuting their No. 1 overall pick from last year, Chet Holmgren who missed all of last year with a foot injury. Holmgren has already played in the Salt Lake City Summer League over the last couple days, but it’s almost a certainty he will get some run against Houston and against Bilal Couliaby.

Tue 7/11/23 Houston vs. Oklahoma City 6:30 PM NBA TV

Wed 7/12/23 Oklahoma City vs. Indiana 7:30 PM NBA TV

One of the biggest questions coming into this year’s NBA Draft was who was going to be taken with the No. 2 pick, Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller? Wemby was a lock at No. 1, but no one had a clear idea what the Hornets were thinking with the second pick. They went with Miller, and now the two will square up on Tuesday, the 11th.

Tue 7/11/23 Portland vs. Charlotte 8:30 PM NBA TV