On Paul George’s podcast, DeMar DeRozan and Paul George discussed Victor Wembanyama.
DeRozan noted that while Wemby is in a great environment with the Spurs and Gregg Popovich, he is already a disciplined young player. They added that he will take a massive leap in his development next season.
DeMar DeRozan: “I don’t think he could’ve went to a better place, a better situation. First of all, from everything I hear, Wemby is already a hell of a kid. So the discipline, the hunger, the drive, the motivation – he already has. Being underneath the tutelage of a Pop.”
“I think you’ll be able to tell this season how special (he is). I mean, you could see it in the (gold medal) championship game in the Olympics. You could just see it.”
“We know how playing in the Olympics, what that does for your confidence as it is. You’re coming out of that type of experience, understanding you’re going to be under Pop again. And also CP.”
Paul George: “A point who can get him the ball when and where he needs it.”
DeRozan: And give him those three three/four/five easy buckets a game, on top of what he he already was doing the year before? I think you’re gonna be able to see how important Pop is and will be to Wemby.”
Wembanyama is coming off what can only be described as an incredible rookie year in the NBA. Wemby dominated the class to earn Rookie of the Year honors and finished second in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year behind his countryman Rudy Gobert.
If his rookie season was the foundation for what we can expect from Wemby going forward, the rest of the NBA is in trouble, as he looks to be even better than what many initially expected him to be before he entered the league.
How Can Chris Paul Help Victor Wembanyama?
Victor Wembanayma is coming off a great rookie year, where he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. Wemby was by far the best player for the Spurs, and at times, their primary ball handler. That will change with the arrival of Chris Paul.
The arrival of Chris Paul, as both George and DeRozan mentioned, will only make Wembanyama better. Chris Paul is perhaps the last of his kind, an archetypal point guard who can distribute the ball well and pick out which of his teammates is in the best position to get an easy bucket.
Paul dictating to Wemby where he should go and how he should move to be in the best position will only further unlock Wemby as a player. So far, Wemby has shown that he has all the tools to succeed in the NBA. But that doesn’t mean he can’t get better and hone those skills even further.
Developing a solid pick-and-roll scheme with Paul will do wonders for his game. For a lot of last season, Wembanyama was trusted with the ball in his hands. While he didn’t do a bad job at all, having a trusted veteran point guard there to set Wemby up, rather than him having to fend for himself, will make him even better.
