Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Top NBA draft prospect Victor Wembanyama revealed that the Golden State Warriors teams from the 2010s played the type of basketball that inspires him.
Golden State won three NBA titles over that stretch, and it set the regular season record for wins, going 73-9 in the 2015-16 season.
“Wembanyama cites the Warriors of the 2010s as a model for the type of basketball that inspires him: They won, they enjoyed themselves and they did it in style,” Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo wrote.
It’s hard to disagree with Wembanyama, as Golden State played an extremely fun brand of basketball predicated on ball movement, floor spacing and sharing the rock. The Warriors were so fun to watch play that they were able to get Kevin Durant to join them after his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Durant helped take the Warriors to new heights, and they won two straight NBA titles with him on the roster. The former league MVP won the NBA Finals MVP honors in both of those title runs.
Wembanyama is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft this coming offseason. He is an extremely talented big man, showcasing guard-like abilities despite standing at over 7-feet tall.
The French prodigy is currently playing overseas, and he’s having a dominant 2022-23 season. In 21 games, Wembanyama is averaging 22.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 3.1 blocks per game.
He’s shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from beyond the arc.
The Warriors’ dynasty in the 2010s changed the game of basketball with its floor spacing, especially the shooting of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Now, the NBA relies on the 3-point shot more than ever, and it has become a great equalizer for many teams.
Wembanyama embodies everything a team would want in a stretch big and then some, and he has a little bit of Durant in his own game.
For NBA front offices, it’s great to see that Wembanyama appreciates the style that Golden State played in that era, as everyone on the floor was involved on offense. It shows that the 19-year-old could be a seamless fit to a team no matter where he is drafted this coming summer.
There’s no doubt that teams in the NBA’s draft lottery will be hoping that results go their way so they can draft Wembanyama this coming offseason.
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