It'll be 2 Simones to 1 Wemby - I think almost for real. Lots of gymnist are short like 4-5'? And he's 7'3"?? On the other hand it'll be like 2 Wemby thighs to 1 Simone thighs lol
I just watched the Wemby MileHighlights and my gooodness. Spurs just throwing it into the stratosphere above any defenders (while Pop just laughs!) for VW's 8ft wingspan to engulf and throwdown making it look like a parent taking it out against little leaguers. Gonna have to start calling it the Allez-Oop from now on...
The Victor Wembanyama era has begun - Thinking Basketball
If they overuse it, no one is gonna either be able to beat the spurs or Wemby gonna get hurt when someone tries to block him from catching it and he lands badly
Or they make a new rule - if he can go above the backboard who the heck can stop it
Okay the last thing this league outside of the Spurs really needed was an even longer KD that can dominate a game defensively. Shit. We need to start the Jaegar Program to combat this monster
You ever take a position in a rhetorical way and then stick with it out of loyalty to your position, even as other information comes in? I'm debating doing that with the play-in tournament. I think what I'm going to think from the outset is that it's stupid. Then, no matter what happens, I'll stick to my position in an ornery way. If it becomes more and more fun I plan to dig my heels in and pick more and more nits with it. But I haven't decided. Do you think I should go with this plan?
My thought was, "This is dumb, I doubt it'll matter or stick," up until the point where I heard they asked the players what they felt about it and both Draymond and Chris Paul immediately said, "We're gonna win it," at which point I decided maybe this is gonna be fun after all.
It's going to be fun. Give it up. It's not going to be amazing, or even awesome, but it's going to be mildly entertaining, and the more people choose to lean into it, the more fun it will be.
I'm probably overreacting, but getting to the point where I consider the Spurs to be the overwhelming title favorite for the rest of the decade, starting next season once they have loaded up on veteran depth. Maybe even earlier.
What would an effective defensive strategy against Wemby look like?
Keep him outside on offense too. For all the hype, he's shooting 32 percent from 3. Make him raise that percentage, or the "turn LeBron into a three shooter" defense will work on Wemby as well. On D, in addition to outside, I would argue you can use all the edges. GS was pushing him under the backboard pretty effectively in pre-season. He's pretty light. You just have to keep pushing instead of stopping when you get what you think is good rebounding position. And hit him with hard screens every time down.
Don't ISO against him (sorry KD). Wemby is the potential end of ISO-ball, and I'm okay with that. And don't slip screens - he's too quick to recover.
I don't personally believe Wemby will be as close to LeBron over time as people think because of height / weight, and because of his dependence on "springy" athleticism over good position. The league is going to get really, really physical with him before the calendar turns. He hasn't really seen ANY of the muscle guys yet - like LeBron and AD, Zion, Giannis, Embiid, Randle, Jaren Jackson . . . and Dray.
Three of the four teams he's played are pretty much custom-built not to be able to stop him. ISO-heavy, no significant defensive muscle, and no real defensive cohesion except for the Clips (who, if you are looking for a playbook, crushed SA and held him to 11 and 5). As the year progresses, guys like Jared Vanderbilt are going to spend all their fouls on him. And all those stretch-Armstrong things he does with his legs extended scare the heck out of me. There's a reason long-term NBA guys don't do everything they are capable of. Some of that stuff is dangerous to your future. We'll see if he has a counter. . . and whether he doesn't wear down come March.
Run him. He’s so big, if he puts on weight to stay strong down low, he’s not going to have the stamina to chase around whole defensive possessions and run up and down the floor. And if he is going to stay skinny, he’s never going to be able to dislodge stocky guys, so you turn him into a jump shooter… which is still going to be ok for him, but lesser of two evils, and all.
Shooting in the NBA is difficult because the windows when your shot is not in danger of getting blocked are so small. This is not true for Wemby. His window from any range is always wide open. Even if you park two Goberts in front on the basket, he doesn't need to dislodge them - he can probably just drop it over the top of them with some touch. Defenders will have to strip him down low before he brings the ball up.
Unless he develops a shooting motion that starts and ends quit an elbow bend, he can’t be too casual with jumper attempts, or he’s at risk of having a jumper blocked by even 6’5” guys
Man if Wiseman played like Wemby maybe that'd work against him since he has a lot of height and length but I think stronger base then Wemby but alas it's just a dream lol. The 3 giants of the new NBA era - Wiseman, Chet, Wemby
He's just behind three bigs at Detroit who are better than him at the moment. Perhaps aim for a buy-out later in the season, then re-sign for the minimum with another team, reset expectations and hopefully get some decent playing time. Hopefully he will find his place in the league.
Can he just go back to a college and play as a walk on - get a good education and make a life - he will already have a head start with 10”s of millions of dollars
Could be at this point it's like that, but his early career was certainly snake bit.
NCAA killed his eligibility and he lost out development time in an already COVID shortened college season. Instead of learning team ball he just did individual workouts.
Then covid robbed him of training camp/preseson. Then injury robbed him of his rookie year and more.
Now he's in a Catch 22 of needing playing time to develop but not good enough to get any playing time.
Yeah fate has not helped him basketball wise. Money wise he's set. But even w all that - just really seems like he either doesn't have the dawg in him or he doesn't understand the game enough cause why on earth can he still not set a good screen
Remember those great “Scale Contrast” photos from the 2016 Olympics of Simone Biles v Michael Phelps and then Phelps v KD?
Well, now we can add the mind-blowing shots from last night of KD v Wemby. Someone really needs to do a Biles v Wemby photoshoot…
It'll be 2 Simones to 1 Wemby - I think almost for real. Lots of gymnist are short like 4-5'? And he's 7'3"?? On the other hand it'll be like 2 Wemby thighs to 1 Simone thighs lol
Wow looked it up she's 4'8" not quite half but darn close
I just watched the Wemby MileHighlights and my gooodness. Spurs just throwing it into the stratosphere above any defenders (while Pop just laughs!) for VW's 8ft wingspan to engulf and throwdown making it look like a parent taking it out against little leaguers. Gonna have to start calling it the Allez-Oop from now on...
The Victor Wembanyama era has begun - Thinking Basketball
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpaW8PwZ_UU
If they overuse it, no one is gonna either be able to beat the spurs or Wemby gonna get hurt when someone tries to block him from catching it and he lands badly
Or they make a new rule - if he can go above the backboard who the heck can stop it
Okay the last thing this league outside of the Spurs really needed was an even longer KD that can dominate a game defensively. Shit. We need to start the Jaegar Program to combat this monster
lets hope the dubs win one before the spurs really dominate
Was that the robot-building program from Pacific Rim?
Yes lol
If the Spurs are really as good as they look against the suns, the west has 11 playoff contenders and the grizz now.
You ever take a position in a rhetorical way and then stick with it out of loyalty to your position, even as other information comes in? I'm debating doing that with the play-in tournament. I think what I'm going to think from the outset is that it's stupid. Then, no matter what happens, I'll stick to my position in an ornery way. If it becomes more and more fun I plan to dig my heels in and pick more and more nits with it. But I haven't decided. Do you think I should go with this plan?
My thought was, "This is dumb, I doubt it'll matter or stick," up until the point where I heard they asked the players what they felt about it and both Draymond and Chris Paul immediately said, "We're gonna win it," at which point I decided maybe this is gonna be fun after all.
It's going to be fun. Give it up. It's not going to be amazing, or even awesome, but it's going to be mildly entertaining, and the more people choose to lean into it, the more fun it will be.
You're saying I'm needed. That's an intriguing call to arms ... hmmmm
No SGA tomorrow, should make things a lot easier for the Dubs
https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/basketball/news/thunders-shai-gilgeous-alexander-wont-play-friday-433113/
No Fox last night either. Sure didn’t seem easier.
My Scoot for Rookie of the Year prediction looking a bit wobbly
Scoot's performance notwithstanding, it's sure looking like the #1 overall pick may very well be the phenomenon he was foretold to be, isn't it...
Yeah for sure. Thought he was gonna be Chet good off the bat not KD good
I'm probably overreacting, but getting to the point where I consider the Spurs to be the overwhelming title favorite for the rest of the decade, starting next season once they have loaded up on veteran depth. Maybe even earlier.
What would an effective defensive strategy against Wemby look like?
> What would an effective defensive strategy against Wemby look like?
Draymond.
players on stilts
eff you beat me to it. More broadly don't let him get position and attack him on D by dragging him outside
Keep him outside on offense too. For all the hype, he's shooting 32 percent from 3. Make him raise that percentage, or the "turn LeBron into a three shooter" defense will work on Wemby as well. On D, in addition to outside, I would argue you can use all the edges. GS was pushing him under the backboard pretty effectively in pre-season. He's pretty light. You just have to keep pushing instead of stopping when you get what you think is good rebounding position. And hit him with hard screens every time down.
Don't ISO against him (sorry KD). Wemby is the potential end of ISO-ball, and I'm okay with that. And don't slip screens - he's too quick to recover.
I don't personally believe Wemby will be as close to LeBron over time as people think because of height / weight, and because of his dependence on "springy" athleticism over good position. The league is going to get really, really physical with him before the calendar turns. He hasn't really seen ANY of the muscle guys yet - like LeBron and AD, Zion, Giannis, Embiid, Randle, Jaren Jackson . . . and Dray.
Three of the four teams he's played are pretty much custom-built not to be able to stop him. ISO-heavy, no significant defensive muscle, and no real defensive cohesion except for the Clips (who, if you are looking for a playbook, crushed SA and held him to 11 and 5). As the year progresses, guys like Jared Vanderbilt are going to spend all their fouls on him. And all those stretch-Armstrong things he does with his legs extended scare the heck out of me. There's a reason long-term NBA guys don't do everything they are capable of. Some of that stuff is dangerous to your future. We'll see if he has a counter. . . and whether he doesn't wear down come March.
Run him. He’s so big, if he puts on weight to stay strong down low, he’s not going to have the stamina to chase around whole defensive possessions and run up and down the floor. And if he is going to stay skinny, he’s never going to be able to dislodge stocky guys, so you turn him into a jump shooter… which is still going to be ok for him, but lesser of two evils, and all.
Shooting in the NBA is difficult because the windows when your shot is not in danger of getting blocked are so small. This is not true for Wemby. His window from any range is always wide open. Even if you park two Goberts in front on the basket, he doesn't need to dislodge them - he can probably just drop it over the top of them with some touch. Defenders will have to strip him down low before he brings the ball up.
Just look at some this stuff he pulled IN HIS FIRST 5 GAMES: https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1720314813358731299
Unless he develops a shooting motion that starts and ends quit an elbow bend, he can’t be too casual with jumper attempts, or he’s at risk of having a jumper blocked by even 6’5” guys
Man if Wiseman played like Wemby maybe that'd work against him since he has a lot of height and length but I think stronger base then Wemby but alas it's just a dream lol. The 3 giants of the new NBA era - Wiseman, Chet, Wemby
Bite his ankles?
Prime pJ Tucker.
Spurs beat the Suns 132-121.
Twice already
Suns: We tied the game!
Spurs: (goes on a 12-0 run, courtesy of Wemby and Collins)
Wemby currently at 38 points and there is about 1.27 to go - he has arrived big time
He looks amazing
I was initially rooting against the Suns, but maybe it wasn’t worth Wemby achieving his First Form
Just makes them even more worth beating later!
Wemby has arrived!
Oh snap that move for 3 by Wemby might be the difference vs the Suns.
That shot left Eddie Johnson, the Suns analyst, speechless, except for "Wow..." And EJ could shoot!
and KD missing his shots now
OMG
Suns are trying to make a comeback. They're shooting 57% and are 14/27 threes.
That Booker guy is not too shabby.
3 point game now with 6 minutes to go - looks like the spurs need more than one wemby
Spurs trying to show the world they have Phoenix's number
It's the Wemby show!
Sometimes it just looks way too easy for him
And doing a pretty good job of it so far. 53-28 about halfway through the 2nd q...
And Suns even got Devin Booker back.
Their announcers are terrible.
OT: Looks like another DNP-CD for Wiseman. Currently on track to play 82 minutes this season, and another wasted year.
Dude needs to buy his way out of his contract so he can find a place to play. Either that or take the money and invest it well.
He's just behind three bigs at Detroit who are better than him at the moment. Perhaps aim for a buy-out later in the season, then re-sign for the minimum with another team, reset expectations and hopefully get some decent playing time. Hopefully he will find his place in the league.
Can he just go back to a college and play as a walk on - get a good education and make a life - he will already have a head start with 10”s of millions of dollars
Could be at this point it's like that, but his early career was certainly snake bit.
NCAA killed his eligibility and he lost out development time in an already COVID shortened college season. Instead of learning team ball he just did individual workouts.
Then covid robbed him of training camp/preseson. Then injury robbed him of his rookie year and more.
Now he's in a Catch 22 of needing playing time to develop but not good enough to get any playing time.
Yeah fate has not helped him basketball wise. Money wise he's set. But even w all that - just really seems like he either doesn't have the dawg in him or he doesn't understand the game enough cause why on earth can he still not set a good screen
I’ll sit on a cushy chair for $12M if anybody is offering…
I'd sit on a cactus for 20 bucks.