By Cesare Milanti/ info@eurohoops.net
Interviewed by his friend and colleague in the latest episode of the “Podcast P with Paul George”, Draymond Green spoke about the Golden State Warriors, where he re-signed for four years, but also commented on the No.1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft Victor Wembanyama, and more.
Involved by the host Paul George on how to guard Victor Wembanyama, Draymond Green didn’t seem too impressed by the French potential generational talent. “You not just dribbling through me like the Harlem Globetrotters, I’m sorry”, he said. “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. But some of the stuff is just, I mean come on bro”, the Golden State Warriors veteran added.
“Again special talent and to even do some of the stuff at that size take a special talent but you gotta press into him. 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 anything you can do to stop that. So for me, I’m all the way pressed up into him”, Draymond Green went on saying about the former Metropolitans 92 player.
Then, the four-time NBA champions spoke about what could make Victor Wembanyama’s career long-term. “Separate from anything else, he can do him as a rim protector. That is what I think most people aren’t talking about and I actually think is what separates him… he gets to the league and because he’s 7/5 he can’t handle it as much as he wants or because the 3-pt line is further he his shot isn’t as good, if all else fails, him as a rim protector is an as elite as we have in the NBA. So you already have one thing that already puts you in an elite category and that is a rim protector, and as we all know teams are looking for rim protectors. I mean there’s someone in the NBA getting paid as a rim protector probably making more money than you, which is a lot of money”, he said probably talking about Rudy Gobert.
Finally, he touched on Nikola Jokic’s comment regarding the treatment reserved for their job as basketball players in the NBA. “I love playing basketball, love to compete but he’s not lying. I hate it. I don’t want to sound like someone who takes it for granted but to Joker’s point, it’s work. And you have to show up to work every day and perform despite what can be going on at work, what can be going on at home, what can be going on in the world. You have to show up and perform and it’s work. There’s so much bullshit that comes with it and the politics but I wouldn’t trade my job for the world”, he said.
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images