Count ex-NBA player Glen “Big Baby” Davis as someone who believes he would do just fine in a matchup against San Antonio Spurs No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama. Davis uses a common refrain that we’ll hear from a lot of ex and current players, but it won’t last long.
“The length I probably would have struggled with, but the body? Tomato chest. They soft. That boy looked like a little baby Bambi out there the other night, a little baby giraffe. … I don’t think he could handle all this pain.”
Davis’ reference to “tomato chest” and that Wemby looked like “a little baby Bambi” were no doubt in reference to his summer league debut. The French phenom had nine points, eight rebounds, five blocks and three assists and looked lost at times on the floor. Makes sense, considering he barely had one practice with those teammates and hasn’t been focusing on basketball for the past month amid the draft hoopla.
Wemby fared much better in his second game, as he finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks. He was far more decisive and aggressive.
Can Wemby’s Body Handle NBA Physiques?
Davis and other players will believe attacking his body will lead to success, and it will initially on some possessions. But it will not be a tactic you can go to exclusively. He also said he “probably” would have struggled with Wemby’s length.
No probably about it, at 6 feet 9 and not a ton of verticality he would have definitely struggled.
Wemby is extremely long, he has an 8-foot wingspan. Once he understands angles and leverage scoring over that length with any consistency will be impossible.
Wemby will get stronger too, particularly in his core. He’s not going to ever bulk up and be Joel Embiid, and he doesn’t need to. His strength is his length, fluidity, and skill set for his size. When he adds the requisite core strength so that you can’t just move him off a spot, he’ll be even more dangerous.
The NBA game and its players are evolving right before our eyes and it’s often difficult to contextualize what you’ve never seen before. But that’s the beauty and excitement of it. There has never been an NBA prospect at this height with this much skill level. Where it ultimately goes? Time will tell.
