The San Antonio Spurs may have just drafted the most talented prospect in the history of the NBA. Victor Wembanyama has been making waves in the basketball world for the past couple of months and will be finally stepping on the NBA floor this upcoming season. His ability to shoot and dribble the ball effortlessly at the height of 7ft 5inches has everyone starry-eyed about his ceiling. Meanwhile, veteran defender Draymond Green recently revealed the way to guard the 19-year-old on a recent episode of ‘Podcast P with Paul George’, before taking a shot at Minnesota Timberwolves star Rudy Gobert.
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Rudy Gobert may have achieved a lot of accolades for his defensive prowess in the NBA, but he has also found himself to be the butt of the joke on numerous occasions across the league. In 2021, he received a massive contract from the Utah Jazz, which amounted to $205,000,000 over five years. The contract surprised Shaquille O’Neal to the point that he sarcastically hailed Gobert as an example of earning money with limited talent. Since then, other NBA players have joined in on the banter.
Draymond Green reveals how he would defend Victor Wembanyama
Draymond Green recently appeared on an episode of ‘Podcast P with Paul George‘ to talk about his contract situation, his relationship with Steph Curry, and the current NBA scene, among other things. He gave a detailed account of guarding Wemby before praising him for his rim-protecting abilities. The discussion transitioned from one Frenchman to another when Green decided to poke fun at Rudy Gobert. Here is what he said:
“You’re just not dribbling through me like the Harlem Globetrotters, I’m sorry. You gotta press up into him[Wembanyama]. If you let him get comfortable, you lose. Because you not blocking his shot. He may not even see your contest. I’m crowding him from the time he runs up and down the court.”
“But I am going to tell you what I think separates him. Him as a rim protector is as elite as we have in the NBA. Teams are always looking for rim protectors. There is someone in the NBA who is getting paid as a rim protector probably more than you P[Paul George], which is a lot of money,” Green added.
Paul George is currently on a four-year extension worth $176,000,000. The versatile wing still falls considerably short of the amount Gobert is getting paid in the league. To Green’s point, it’s the shot-blocking ability of the Frenchman that has translated to so much money, along with his three ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ awards. The Minnesota Timberwolves also gave away a lot of assets in a record-breaking trade for the center last season.
Gilbert Arenas on Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama has been receiving a lot of attention from active and retired NBA players since Draft day. With the podcast culture taking over the NBA, everyone seems to voice their opinion on everything. Gilbert Arenas has also taken the opportunity to express his thoughts about the French unicorn while talking to 2016 NBA champion Iman Shumpert.
Arenas has warned Wembanyama about two players he needs to be wary of in the league. According to the three-time All-Star, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic are the only centers who can cause the rookie problems, and it would be easy sailing for him with the rest of the league. The hype has gotten us all on the edge of our seats, and we can’t wait for the season to start.
