Attention all teams, Victor Wembanyama is ready to dominate the NBA! Sport analyst Kendrick Perkins has decided to send a warning ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, as he’s convinced that the Spurs rookie is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. At first, he admitted he wasn’t too impressed when he saw him during the Summer League, but these past preseason games have struck him deeply.
The ESPN commentator even went all the way to guarantee that the French sensation’s unquestionable unique skillset will command the league on both sides of the floor. Perkins is now confident that Wembanyama is the future of the NBA.
“Ability to anchor a defense from all areas of the floor when he’s not even in the play, it’s just crazy,” he recently said on air after watching him do everything from nutmeg Reggue Bullock this past Wednesday, or even show his impressive defensive reach against Oklahoma City back on October 9.
Kendrick Perkins on Wemby:
“Victor Wembanyama is going to be the best player in the league on both ends of the floor in the next 3 years.”
Thoughts?
pic.twitter.com/7OwMUeMHsC— Wemby Muse (@Wemby_Muse) October 19, 2023
San Antonio still has one more preseason match in their schedule before the start of the NBA season. Meanwhile, the rising star has the basketball community talking.
“Victor Wembanyama is going to be the best player in the league on both ends of the floor in the next three years. … We’re talking about a 7-4 version of Kevin Durant offensively. There’s nothing he can’t do. Defensively, we’ve never seen anything like him,” Kendrick expressed.
Others around the league believe that the 19-year-old’s success isn’t just about his talent and freakish height, it also has a lot to do with the Spurs culture. NBA veteran Patrick Beverley explained why Victor is exactly where he needs to be in Texas, and has everything around him to thrive.
“He has the best culture behind him,” the Sixers guard said. “Those guys from San Antonio, they come back, and Pop runs his s**t. All that wisdom he has. I think Pop said he drew up one or two plays for him, and then (he) got 20 (points). That’s really a coach that’s letting you do your thing.”
Former Metropolitans 92 teammate explained why Wembanyama is built different and is just as intelligent as he’s talented
Bilal Coulibaly was the only other teammate from Wembanyama’s time with the Metropolitans 92 who was also drafted to the NBA. The French youngster also ended up as a first-round pick and will be part of the Wizards’ rebuild this season.
“Yeah, he’s different,” Coulibaly said with a smile. “He’s a great guy, for real. Humble. I think everybody knows it. But he’s really smart. Like, really, really smart. Sometimes I feel like he’s older than a lot of us. I feel like, how he speaks, his approach to everything. Whatever he’s doing, he’s really thinking about it.”
The new Spurs star also had some words of praise for his fellow compatriot, who he believes should’ve been a top-five draft pick.
“I’ll tell you something, the NBA, he’ll fit very good because he’s actually 6-8 with a 7-3 wingspan. And, you know, often players, they cheat on their measurements. But we don’t do that in France,” Wembanyama said about Coulibaly.
