Charles Barkley doubts Wembanyama: 'You can't tell he's great until he gets to NBA' / News - Basketnews.com

Charles Barkley is not convinced by Victor Wembanyama yet: "He looks like he's great, but you really can't tell until he gets to the NBA." Chuck thinks NBA's physicality is going to be a huge adjustment for the French talent.

Credit: FIBA, AP - Scanpix Credit FIBA, AP - Scanpix

Projected No.1 pick Victor Wembanyama has been labeled as the next big thing following his sensational performances in the French league and Metropolitans 92–G League Ignite showdowns in the U.S.

Victor Wembanyama

Position:CAge:19Height:223 cmWeight:95 kgBirth place:FranceProfileNewsStatistics

The 19-year-old puts on a show on a regular basis, averaging an LNB-best 22.2 points, a league-leading 9.5 rebounds, and an unmatched 3.1 blocks per game.

Seems that it's not enough for NBA legend Charles Barkley, who is not sitting in Wembanyama's hype train.

Chuck doubts the French unicorn's potential to dominate the NBA since day one, as Michael Jordan or LeBron James did.

"Everybody wants this kid and he looks like he's great, but you really can't tell until he gets to the NBA," Barkley said onInside the NBA, co-hosted by him, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson.

Barkley continued his rant after Kenny praised Wembanyama for shooting and dribbling abilities.

"I don't agree with all that, I think it's going to be a huge adjustment. The physicality... I think it's more physical than him playing against the Czech Republic," Barkley referred to the last FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers game where Wembanyama led France with an impressive stat line of 22 points, 17 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 6 blocks, and 34 EFF.

"I mean he's going to be playing against grown men. And he's going to have to guard those guys on the other end also, which is going to bring him into foul trouble.

"Listen, I been in the NBA for 40 years and I ain't seen but one guy, one guy who didn't go to college, who came in and who was ready, and that's LeBron. Kobe was great, he struggled early. Kevin Garnett was great, he struggled early," Chuck pointed out.

After the line above, Ernie Johnson tried to double-check: "But will Victor be great at some point?"

"I don't know the answer to that," Barkley responded andthen talked about the number of players who were compared to Michael Jordan and did not live up to it.

"He is the next this, he is the next that. Like, how many people did Michael Jordan kill? We've been for the last 40 years like, 'Well, he is the next Michael Jordan.' And we never had another one. We killed like Howard Miner, Roy Marble, like all these guys.

"I want to see the kid [Wembanyama] play, I hope he is great. I can't sit now here just because he is killing people over in the Czech Republic that he is going to come over here and dominate. I just don't believe," Barkley emphasized.

Two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith kept upholding Wembanyama throughout Barkley's talk down.

"He's a special talent because of his ability to handle the ball and shoot the ball. The way he scores even in the European game is very similar to the way he would be scoring in the NBA. So, I don't think it'll be an adjustment for him," Smith said.

"I think there have been errors where guys had to change their game and add something to it. This kid shoots the three, handles the ball, gets into areas of the floor, seven-foot-five, he's gonna shoot over you," the current sports commentator added.

"Not many guys can really defend him and the ball handling is what really makes him special to me. It's not anything else but his ability to handle the basketball."

There is no guarantee, but Charles Barkley could be falling into Luka Doncic's trap.

The Slovenian wunderkind, who played in Real Madrid before making a leap to the NBA, delivered immediately.

At age 19, Doncic averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.1 steals over 72 games as a rookie.

Luka was also named NBA Rookie of the Year in the 2018-19 season, surpassing such college stars as Trae Young, Deandre Ayton, Collin Sexton, Jaren Jackson Jr., and others.

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