• Changing RCF's index page, please click on "Forums" to access the forums.

Victor

Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Popovich just extended by Spurs through Wemby’s rookie deal.

Not surprising but as others have mentioned with the insane media build up put on this teenager I’m glad he’s got one of the greatest coaches ever to help him put in the work. And he’s got plenty to work on as others have already called out.

Popovich will be close to 80 when his contract expires.
 
I've decided to look into Wembanyama a little bit, because I'm curious how his career might look when all's said and done.

There are 27 players (currently including him) that have played in the NBA that are at least 7 foot 3 or taller.
  1. Gheorghe Muresan
  2. Manute Bol
  3. Tacko Fall
  4. Slavko Vranes
  5. Shawn Bradley
  6. Yao Ming
  7. Chuck Nevitt
  8. Pavel Podkolzin
  9. Sim Bhullar
  10. Victor Wembanyama (yet to play his first official NBA game)
  11. Mark Eaton
  12. Rik Smits
  13. Ralph Sampson
  14. Boban Marjanovic
  15. Priest Lauderdale
  16. Peter John Ramos
  17. Randy Breuer
  18. Zydrunas Ilgauskas
  19. Arvydas Sabonis
  20. Hasheem Thabeet
  21. Swede Halbrook
  22. Keith Closs
  23. Ha Seung-Jin
  24. Aleksandar Radojevic
  25. Walter Tavares
  26. Tibor Pleiß
  27. Kristaps Porzingis
Beyond the fact that most of these guys have names that need dictionaries, most don't have storied NBA careers.

And the few who did have anything of note: Injuries were always smack dab in the middle. 10 guys who played at least 400 games. Most of these guys have missed 85% of a season at some point, even multiple times. None have played past 12 seasons of basketball. And the guy who played the most games, Mark Eaton, was healthy for his first 10 years, but back injuries also derailed his career in the end.

This tells me that while basketball is a sport for tall people, an athlete's body can only take so much at such an extreme height.

I hope Wembanyama can make his mark, but the numbers are against him in terms of hall of fame potential. Guys like Yao and Sabonis made the hall of fame because of the legacies made in their home countries, while Sampson's was based on his college accolades (the first few years didn't hurt either).

Good luck...
 
In general I think you’re right that extreme height can become a disadvantage, but Kareem was 7’2 without shoes and the one inch difference between 7’2 and 7’3 doesn’t seem dispositive. So you’ve got one all time great of extreme height.

But Kareem was much stronger and more skilled when he came into the league after UCLA
 
He had 16 points on 8 FGA, plus 8 boards, at the half of today's game. In 15 minutes.

I don't believe his skills/ability are going to be an issue. He'll dominate when he's healthy.

The critical question with him is always going to be health.
 
rabman_gold said:
I've decided to look into Wembanyama a little bit, because I'm curious how his career might look when all's said and done.

There are 27 players (currently including him) that have played in the NBA that are at least 7 foot 3 or taller.
  1. Gheorghe Muresan
  2. Manute Bol
  3. Tacko Fall
  4. Slavko Vranes
  5. Shawn Bradley
  6. Yao Ming
  7. Chuck Nevitt
  8. Pavel Podkolzin
  9. Sim Bhullar
  10. Victor Wembanyama (yet to play his first official NBA game)
  11. Mark Eaton
  12. Rik Smits
  13. Ralph Sampson
  14. Boban Marjanovic
  15. Priest Lauderdale
  16. Peter John Ramos
  17. Randy Breuer
  18. Zydrunas Ilgauskas
  19. Arvydas Sabonis
  20. Hasheem Thabeet
  21. Swede Halbrook
  22. Keith Closs
  23. Ha Seung-Jin
  24. Aleksandar Radojevic
  25. Walter Tavares
  26. Tibor Pleiß
  27. Kristaps Porzingis
Beyond the fact that most of these guys have names that need dictionaries, most don't have storied NBA careers.

And the few who did have anything of note: Injuries were always smack dab in the middle. 10 guys who played at least 400 games. Most of these guys have missed 85% of a season at some point, even multiple times. None have played past 12 seasons of basketball. And the guy who played the most games, Mark Eaton, was healthy for his first 10 years, but back injuries also derailed his career in the end.

This tells me that while basketball is a sport for tall people, an athlete's body can only take so much at such an extreme height.

I hope Wembanyama can make his mark, but the numbers are against him in terms of hall of fame potential. Guys like Yao and Sabonis made the hall of fame because of the legacies made in their home countries, while Sampson's was based on his college accolades (the first few years didn't hurt either).

Good luck...
Click to expand...

I think how Porzingis developed is how the Spurs should approach Wemby's.

His length takes up too much of the floor so he won't be driving by bigger guys without a wing or guard's hand swatting at his dribble every time and it's an instant turnover if he tries against guards and wings.

A facing the basket game like Porzingis/Dirk will be his bread and butter. He will be closer to Duncan in terms of passing ability though.
 
cavsfever said:
In general I think you’re right that extreme height can become a disadvantage, but Kareem was 7’2 without shoes and the one inch difference between 7’2 and 7’3 doesn’t seem dispositive. So you’ve got one all time great of extreme height.

But Kareem was much stronger and more skilled when he came into the league after UCLA
Click to expand...

The thing with Kareem wasn't just his height. He had incredible coordination early on and trained his body in martial arts (and with Bruce Lee to add!). He made full use of it without using explosive movement that could compromise his health. And his game also relied more on finesse. That's why his sky hook was so effective (and exclusive).

Aside from that, I agree. But it starts to get a bit foggy once they reach 7'4. Those few extra inches are a killer...
 
That shooting stroke is smooth, soft, and a sky high rainbow.
 
I agree that hooks look cool. But practicing a hook is very hard, need even more repetition than a regular shot. And it developed back when guys couldn’t dunk and Kareem just took it to the next level.

Guys who are that tall rarely get blocked, so they really just need something reliable to get on the rim. Dunks, layups, set shots, and if necessary jumpers are where it’s at for them.

I don’t see it making it a comeback. Best I think we’ll see is Jokic.
 
"I know I got to talk with Pop," Wembanyama said when asked if he was going to play more here. "I'm going to listen to what he's going to say, but I'm ready to make any sacrifice for the team and give 100%."

Whenever his summer season does end, Wembanyama knows how he wants to spend the next three months before training camp starts -- focusing solely on basketball.

"Like this past month, I think basketball wasn't even 50% of my schedule," Wembanyama said. "I can't stand it. I know it's a special moment in my life, but I'm just glad it's over honestly. I just want to hoop, workout and lift."

And he's prepared to do whatever the Spurs want him to do to get ready.

"I just know that as I'm not playing in the World Cup," Wembanyama added, "I've got two to three months -- two to three great months -- that are coming up and they're going to change my life."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Video

Episode 3-14: "Time for Playoff Vengeance on Mickey"

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Spotify

Episode 3:14: " Time for Playoff Vengeance on Mickey."
Top