AUSTIN, Texas — Victor Wembanyama couldn't put a finger on why. If he knew, he didn't let on. But something was off when his San Antonio Spurs hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder on opening night, five months after eliminating them in the Western Conference Finals.
"I missed lots of shots, which I usually don't miss," Wembanyama explained after the Spurs' 116-104 loss to the Thunder. "After that, I didn't go back to (those) shots. I wasn't decisive."
The Frenchman finished Tuesday night shooting 1-for-13 from the field. His 12 points came mostly from the free throw line, save for a lone dunk he flushed at the buzzer of the third quarter after De'Aaron Fox found him at the rim. Even then, it wasn't his first try.
Wembanyama said he didn't feel like himself on the court. He's better when he's having fun, he added. But facing reporters after an 0-1 start to the 2026-27 season, he clearly was not.
"I don't need to do more," Wembanyama said. "I need to think less, probably."
When asked why he felt out of place, Wembanyama said there were "many reasons," but declined to identify them. A few culprits could be a new starting lineup, now featuring last year's standout rookie Dylan Harper, the buzz generated from a matchup widely considered the league's most intriguing rivalry or, simply put, first-game jitters.
Jitters seem unlikely for Wembanyama, now in his fourth season. Adjusting to a new starting lineup, however, will likely take more than one game. And even if all three factors were at play, the Spurs aren't reading much into their star's disappointing outing.
"We all have to understand that we're at our best when we're all in attack mode," Harper said. "In order for us to do that, we have to play with each other. We all have to run the floor."
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson felt none of his players did so effectively on Tuesday.
"I think everybody struggled pretty equally," Johnson said, diverting blame away from Wembanyama. "I know, obviously, his field goal (percentage) will stand out, but I thought we all participated in that one ... I thought it was a pretty well-rounded, poor effort by all of us."
Concerns about the Spurs' three-guard starting lineup emerged in the immediate aftermath, making the new-look unit an easy scapegoat for their slow start. The reality is that Harper, Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox outscored the Thunder by 10 in their 12 shared minutes.
"I think the first half, we came out slow," Harper admitted. "(We were) passive, and I feel like the second half, we started attacking the rim. We started playing faster, playing together, and you obviously could see the difference. But you can't start out like that."
While the guards found ways to assert themselves on offense, Wembanyama struggled to create his own advantages. When he did get a clean look, his shots didn't fall.
Tack on Gilgeous-Alexander's 32 points, Chet Holmgren's newfound aggressiveness, Aday Mara's block on Wembanyama and Jared McCain's six 3-pointers — most on blown coverages — and Johnson could understand why his star felt a little moody.
"Victor was probably frustrated for a few different reasons," Johnson said, "and I think when you have a game like that, it gets a little exacerbated when it's Game 1."
Where opening night breeds overreactions, Johnson hopes his squad keeps a level head. Taking the podium after him on Tuesday, Wembanyama and Castle seem to already be there.
"In a season with 82 games, yes, of course we have the time (to improve)," Wembanyama said. "The talent is obvious on this lineup ... I think that tonight, we didn't even allow our coach and our staff to see what it could look like because we just weren't ourselves."
Added Castle: "As competitors, it hurts to lose any type of game. But we have to move on. We have 81 more games to play and get ready for. I think we'll be ready on Friday."
Now in Austin to face the Houston Rockets in their first of three games at Moody Center this season, the Spurs are bearing a few things in mind: They won't be able to get away with as many mistakes as they made against the Thunder if they plan to generate wins.
They also need to find their chemistry on the floor in order to create advantages for themselves. Wembanyama will have to spearhead that charge moving forward.
Mitch Johnson says he can't coach joy on the court. Luckily, his squad is led by a Frenchman who hasn't had a problem with that in the past. And while one poor performance won't dim Wembanyama's spark, it was a rude awakening for him.
If nothing else, Wembanyama will have to have more fun in the capital of Texas.
"I feel it's obvious for me," Wembanyama said. "I need to go back to playing the basketball I like, you know? This is not the sport I like, right here. I've got no reason to be hesitant. No reason to not be myself. For me, it's as simple as that. I'm good when I have fun."
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