2024 Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama proved that the hype around him was indeed justified. He became a Defensive Player of the Year candidate while showing some dazzling offensive moves. Kevin Garnett was impressed with the rookie. He was perturbed when the San Antonio Spurs Center didn’t win the Defensive Player of the Year, which indicates how much he respects his game. Unsurprisingly, he is willing to aid Wembanyama in becoming a complete player.
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On his KG: Certified pod, Garnett and Paul Pierce discussed whose brains the 7’3” Center can pick to improve further. The discussion was triggered by the news of Wembanyama working out with dribbling maestro Jamal Crawford.
Upon knowing this, KG urged Wemby to train with Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan. He expressed,
“If I’m Wemby, I am doing a three-parter. I am working with Jamal Crawford, then I go find Timmy[Duncan]. I go find Dream[Olajuwon].. He need to go tap into some knowledge, he need to go see one of the senseis[Japanese word for a teacher].”
In the middle of KG’s suggestion, Pierce added that the Frenchman can also take Kevin Durant’s help. However, he wasn’t convinced because he believes that since Durant and Wemby are still Western Conference rivals, that might not be a desirable pathway. Then, Pierce suggested that the Spurs Center could go work with LeBron James too.
Garnett didn’t approve of this suggestion. He posited that if James’ teammate Anthony Davis witnessed such a development, he’d not appreciate that LBJ is improving someone who would pose a huge threat to him when they clash against each other.
Overall, KG’s suggestions make sense considering Hakeem Olajuwon has helped improve Kobe Bryant and LeBron James with their post-play. Meanwhile, Duncan can help with the fundamentals while as a Spurs legend, he can help the youngster to thrive under coach Gregg Popovich. Apart from that, the 19-year-old has already made a solid choice in Jamal Crawford.
Victor Wembanyama is a symbol of the position-less basketball
Usually, you’d expect a 7’3” player to dominate the low block or at best, become a pick-and-pop/ floor-stretching option. Against the set trends, Wembanyama showed impressive dribbling including a Shammgod masterpiece that left Garnett in awe. He has a loftier goal of becoming an unstoppable ball-handler who can control the offense, not just a bits-and-pieces perform.
So, seeking Crawford’s help was natural for him. He helped the rookie out during the 2024 All-Star Weekend too. Before the Rising Stars game, he taught him to pull off a difficult wrap-around behind-the-back skip dribble maneuver. This move is popular among dribbling experts who practice their trade in street basketball.
For a 7’3” Center, producing both the hop and navigating through the wide base of the body is challenging. Thus, Wemby went to Crawford during the 2024 offseason to polish his game with such ball-handling tricks.
Crawford has no shortage of things to each in that department while he can also aid Wembanyama in becoming an effective pull-up jump shooter.
