Pump the breaks at least a little for Victor Wembanyama

June 28, 2023

Accolades have been pouring in for Victor Wembanyama, the first pick in this year’s NBA draft.

Greatest prospect ever. Rookie of the year. All-Star. All-NBA. Whew!

But I caution you to pump the breaks at least a little.

Remember Anthony Bennett in 2013? Or Kwane Brown in ’01. Or LaRue Martin in ’72? Or Michael Olowokandi in ’99. All 7-footers with amazing skills. All NBA busts. Drop to No. 2 picks who were busts and you can add the names Greg Oden, Sam Bowie, Hasheem Thabeet, and Darko Milicic, all 7-footers.

There’s an old saying ‘you can’t teach height’ and that’s why NBA scouts fall in love with 7-footers with some skills.

I’m not predicting Wemby is a bust, but the NBA is a long way from the French pro league. At 7-4, he can do everything but he’s skinny as a rail. Can his body take the pounding he’ll get from Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and other powerful players? He’ll need to put on weight without losing speed and quickness.

It’s fun to speculate about great prospects, but remember, speculation and reality aren’t always the same.

Written by: 1010admin

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