Draymond Green says people are ‘setting Victor Wembanyama up for failure,’ while revealing how he would defend the 7-foot-4 prized rookie
- Wembanyama as predicted was the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft by the Spurs
- He predicted Wemby’s ability to defend the rim would make him successful
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Golden State Warriors superstar Draymond Green believes people are putting too much pressure on No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama and setting the young star up for failure.
NBA scouts, executives, fans, and even players have spent months drooling over Wembanyama after watching the 7-foot-4 Frenchman display the shooting and ball handling ability of a player half his size, before being selected by the San Antonio Spurs.
‘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 on Podcast P with Paul George.
‘Now if he does, God be with him, more power to you,’ Green added. ‘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.
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‘I think he will be special, but an All-Star next year, I think that’s a bit much.’
Draymond Green said he believes people are ‘setting Victor Wembanyama up for failure’
Wembanyama as predicted was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman has amazed scouts with his shooting and dribbling ability at such size
Spurs fans recently greeted Wembanyama with chants of ‘Wem-V-P!, Wem-V-P!, Wem-V-P!’ as he stepped off a flight to Texas last week.
The hype amongst San Antonio’s fanbase has been at an all-time high for months and saw season ticket sales skyrocket after the team was awarded the first pick in this year’s draft.
Spurs fans also formed a massive line outside of the team store at the AT&T Center in the moments after the Wembanyama pick was made official.
Green, who has been named to eight NBA All-Defensive teams also spoke on how he intended to guard the 19-year-old giant when they eventually face off against each other and noted that it would be a physical battle.
‘You’re not just dribbling through me like the Harlem Globetrotters. I’m sorry,’ said Green.’
‘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.’
Green also predicted Wembanyama’s ability to defend the rim would lead him to be successful
The 33-year-old Green also went on to say that he believes Wembanyama will be successful player in the league in large part due to his large stature.
‘But I’m gonna tell you what I think separates him from most and that will make him pretty special in its own right, separate from anything else that he can do: him as a rim protector,’ Green said.
‘That is what I think most people aren’t talking about and I actually think that’s what separates him, because if all else fails… him as a rim protector is as elite as we have in the NBA. So you already have one thing that puts you in an elite category.’
