Victor Wembanyama began his NBA career with performances that were not sensational, but certainly good for a rookie. The Frenchman has so far won 2 of his 4 games with the San Antonio Spurs, scoring 16.3 points on average and adding 7.5 rebounds and 2.3 stoppages. Defensively, Wemby is already a difference-maker, while on offense his 26 percent from three-point range testifies to how he is still a bit of a work in progress. Despite this, some of his plays, such as the dunk against the Suns, made everyone jerk out of their chairs.
Not Shaquille O’Neal, who on social media in recent hours downplayed Wembanyama’s impact. By all accounts the former Metropolitans92 was described as a player never seen, a mix of height, length and technique never seen on a basketball court. But according to Shaq, such a player we have already seen, and recently too: Bol Bol.
“What is the difference between Wemby and Bol Bol?” Shaq asked on Instagram, generating much discussion. Not least because Bol, the 44th overall pick in 2019, has struggled to say the least in his early years in the NBA. The son of the gun has played only 124 games in four years between Denver, Orlando and Phoenix: just one this season, 4′ of garbage time against the Jazz. In short, so far at least, the careers seem diametrically opposed, notwithstanding a few physical similarities such as being long-limbed and having a large wingspan.
Milan, Italy. A graduate in Labor Management and Communication for Organizations from Catholic University, I founded BasketUniverso in 2011. Yes, I root for Orlando Magic and do my best not to hide it.
