There is no doubt Victor Wembanyama is a generational talent and Warriors star Draymond Green has a message for him ahead of the NBA season.
Green has earned eight- NBA All Defensive honors in his career and explained what a physical matchup it will be when he plays against Wembanyama and the Spurs.
“…Special talent and to even do some of the stuff at that size take a special talent but you gotta press into him,” Green said on the Podcast P With Paul George. “You can’t let him get comfortable. You let him get comfortable you lose, because you can’t block his shot. He may not even see your contest. So with a guy like that you gotta do your work early. I‘m crowding him from the time he starts running down the court. When they get the rebound and they start coming I’m crowding because I can’t let him get to a space where he’s comfortable. If you do that against talents like that…aint nothing you can do to stop that. So for me I’m all the way pressed up into him.”
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman has been hyped for months by NBA fans, scouts, exes and players themselves but Green thinks the way he’s been set up is sending the wrong message and could end up negatively affecting the 19-year-old.
“I think people are setting him up for failure like, ‘Oh, he’s gonna be an All-Star next year.’ Man, it’s hard to become an All-Star in this league,” Green said.
“Now if he does, God be with him, more power to you. But to say he’s gonna be an All-Star next year as if he don’t have to figure this game out, I don’t really buy that.
“I think he will be special, but an All-Star next year, I think that’s a bit much.
“Don’t get me wrong he’s a phenom and one of the best things to happen to him was going to San Antonio and coach Pop. That infrastructure is gonna teach you how to be a pro … and their player development is unmatched so I think that’s huge for him.”
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