Victor and Chet, take the wheel

A deeply fulfilling preseason debut for our new 7-foot kings.

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

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Buttermere Lake, with Part of Cromackwater, Cumberland, a Shower; J.M.W. Turner; 1798

I wasn’t sure if the Thunder vs. Spurs preseason game was going to deliver exactly what we wanted, which is lots of Victor Wembanyama and lots of Chet Holmgren.

Oh, it delivered. First, the Frenchman:

There’s some uniquely Wembanyama magic in there, like that unreal recovery block on Jalen Williams and that one-motion putback on a missed free throw over Holmgren. Then there’s high-level NBA star stuff that’s a little more universal like the three-pointers off of movement, the rim attacks, the Giannisian poke-away to transition dunk that happened in literally 3 seconds.

FIRST PRESEASON GAME. Sheesh.

Holmgren was a beast in his own rite.

Chet made Zach Collins — who is going to be a starter for the Spurs, and is a solid vet — look like a semi-pro a few times there. Holmgren springing open for a Josh Giddey feed for an open three. Holmgren running a flawless pick-and-roll with J-Dub for a flush. Holmgren bringing the ball up the court. Those are all fantastic signs for Chet’s readiness given where the Thunder sit going into the season.

I am really looking forward to 15 years of divisional rivalry between these two dudes.

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Programming Note

I overslept for the first time in the 2023-24 season. Southwest Division most important non-stars coming Wednesday. Theoretically.

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Forgot About Cam

I feel like no one that talks about the Nets — who I think are not quite a playoff team in the East, the fact that they held onto No. 6 last season after the trades was more about the inability of Miami and Atlanta to make runs, not Brooklyn’s own competence — talks enough about Cam Thomas. He has obvious limitations but buckets are important in the NBA and dude gets them.

To wit: