"I take back everything I said" - Paul George takes major U-turn on Victor Wembanyama Summer League comment
The NBA 2023-24 season has arrived, and Paul George has made sure that Victor Wembanyama gets the praise he deserves following his preseason performance. Entering this season, there was a lot of anticipation surrounding Wembanyama, the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, due to his tremendous upside.
Nevertheless, he needs to perform up to expectations, which makes sense, as there remain reservations on the Spurs' center. One of them initially was George. The Clippers star previously talked with Draymond Green on his "Podcast P with Paul George" about how the game won't be as easy once Wembanyama enters the league.
However, considering the way the Frenchman performed in preseason, it makes sense why George went back on his words in a recent episode from his podcast.
"I take back everything I said," George said. "I thought it was gonna be tougher than he's making it look. He euro'd without taking a dribble from the free-thwo line, flushed it. No one's stopping that."
In the four preseason games Wembanyama played in, he averaged 19.3 points (50.9% shooting, including 31.8% from the 3-point range) and 4.8 rebounds.
Despite the games being different from the regular season, the Spurs center has certainly made his presence known with his shotmaking and defensive prowess.
What Paul George previously said about the Spurs center
In a previous episode from Paul George's "Podcast P with Paul George," the Clippers forward talked with Warriors' Draymond Green about the perception around Victor Wembanyama.
George acknowledged the tremendous talent of the Spurs center but also voiced out his reservations about how he's being presented in the league.
"Hell of a talent, but some of this s*** that I seen," George said. "We're not letting him do that."
Additionally, Draymond Green also had the same stance on the 2023 No.1 pick but made sure to highlight Wembanyama's potential.
"You not just dribbling through me like the Harlem Globetrotters, I'm sorry," Green said.
"Don't get me wrong. He's a phenom and one of the best things to happen to him was going to San Antonio and Coach Pop. But some of the stuff is, I mean come on bro. You can't let him get comfortable. So with a guy like that, you gotta do your work early."
From Green's comments, he knows what Wembanyama is capable of, even without all the excitement surrounding him. It makes sense when he said that making Wembanyama uncomfortable on the court is key to slowing him down.
Fans will soon see if Green's defensive mindset in guarding Victor Wembanyama would work.