Kendrick Perkins rips Victor Wembanyama over controversial comments
ESPN analyst and former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins isn't impressed with Victor Wembanyama's recent comments regarding the physicality of the NBA. The top draft pick claimed that NBA basketball isn't as physical as he experienced in France.
Wembanyama has played in just two Summer League games. Herein lies Perkins' issue, as he detailed during a recent episode of ESPN's "First Take."
"He played two Summer League games," Perkins said. "He hasn't even got a taste of the real NBA yet. He hasn't got an opportunity to go against Giannis Antetokounmpo. He hasn't got an opportunity to mix it up download with Joel Embiid. He hasn't got an opportunity to mix it up with [Nikola] Jokic."
Unlike the NBA, the French league is not teeming with elite athletes. However, European basketball does possess a significant amount of hulking centers who use their size and power to create their scoring opportunities. European basketball also has less spacing and a different set of rules, allowing for more physicality in the paint and around the rim.
The NBA has developed a rule set that allows for an entertaining brand of basketball with a focus on offense. European basketball is more aligned with a half-court offense that involves a certain level of physicality to create scoring space.
Wembanyama isn't the only European player to say the NBA is less physical, either. In 2022, Luka Doncic made a similar claim when he declared that it was easier to score in the NBA than it was in Europe.
"I would say that scoring is easier in the NBA just because of the different rules, the amount of space, the time, so that's why I said it's easier to score in the NBA," Doncic said.
There's no denying that NBA talent is on a different level in terms of skill and athletic ability. However, we also have to realize that Wembanyama has yet to taste real NBA basketball. More importantly, Wembanyama is yet to taste playoff basketball. Until the San Antonio Spurs prospect has experienced what it's like to play against the best, most athletic players in the world, it's disingenuous to discuss the physicality within the league.
Furthermore, during his two outings in Summer League, Wembanyama appeared to struggle with the physicality. Stating that the league is softer than what you're used to is a surefire way of encouraging opponents to play a little harder once the regular season starts. With so many expectations already on Wembanyama's shoulders, he would be wise to avoid giving himself any additional hurdles to clear.
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