Ex-Bucks big man sees shades of Giannis Antetokounmpo in top rookie prospect

In a recent interview, Mamukelashvili, who himself just signed an extension with the Spurs, shared his thoughts on the Giannis-Wemby comparisons. Mamu said that he does see some shades of his former teammate in Wembanyama:

“You can say that, as he is very long and athletic,” Mamukelashvili said. “I feel like he has a great shot for his size and handles. I think he will be a generational player once he develops.”

Mamukelashvili is now officially on board the Victor Wembanyama hype train. He’s also had the privilege of meeting the young man already, and at this point, Mamu certainly sees a lot of promise in his new Spurs teammate:

“Yeah, he is a great guy. Very down-to-earth,” Mamukelashvili said. “I love how he works hard — he comes very early and does his stuff. Definitely, a professional, and I look forward to playing with him, getting close to him, giving him some assists, and getting some of them. You know, he is a great guy.”

Are the Giannis Antetokounmpo-Victor Wembanyama comparisons warranted?

Apart from the four-inch height difference, there’s no denying that Wembanyama does look a lot like Giannis when the latter first entered the league many years ago. However, you could argue that Wemby is more NBA-ready as opposed to Antetokounmpo when he was drafted by the Bucks as the 15th overall pick a decade ago.

At this point, however, Giannis Antetokounmpo is already a bona fide superstar. In fact, you could argue that he’s one of, if not the most dominant player in the game today. Wembanyama seems like he has the potential to reach these same heights in the years to come, but until he does, I’d like to hold back on the comparisons.