the Wemby experience commences tonight

galaxy27

i guess this thread will serve as the official one for VW. glorious pictures and inane commentary to follow.

edit: the vid i shot of his first NBA bucket

https://youtube.com/shorts/PsS9Acx0VOc?si=LLORESQaysHTMphe

BLUEJAYWAY

Will be following your commentary.

SanctionII

I beat you to it in posting a thread about VW.

What makes your thread the "Official" thread?; and why can't my thread be "Official"?

Is it because your thread uses "Wemby" and my thread uses Webanyama?

I gots to know!!!!!

galaxy27

tonight's view

i arrived at the arena 100 minutes before tipoff and there were already 1000 friends of mine in my chosen line waiting for the gates to open

i'm not embellishing

thisistheshow

galaxy27

this is what happens when your b-day falls on the same day as Wemby's first NBA game and i happen to be there........you receive the best present since you've been alive 😂

i stuck a beer in one of these and it tasted 1% better than any beer i've ever imbibed 🍺

@erikthredd I'll grab your addy when i get home

perkdog

I was thinking this was going to be a Golf thing lol

Either way I.know my boy @galaxy27 is going to make this a fun thread

Enjoy my friend 🍻

galaxy27

erikthredd

@galaxy27 said:
this is what happens when your b-day falls on the same day as Wemby's first NBA game and i happen to be there........you receive the best present since you've been alive 😂

i stuck a beer in one of these and it tasted 1% better than any beer i've ever imbibed 🍺

@erikthredd I'll grab your addy when i get home

Galaxy, you're a good hombre. Thanks.

I really needed a drink minutes ago when Jaylen Brown almost gave the game away but our new 7-3 center decided to close out the game for a win. Porzingis dropped 30pts/8reb/4blk and I can't wait to see him & Wemby go head to head.

Wemby just knocks down his first career three and that defender running out to him was neer going to affect that shot lol.

galaxy27

opening tip

thisistheshow

@erikthredd said:

@galaxy27 said:
this is what happens when your b-day falls on the same day as Wemby's first NBA game and i happen to be there........you receive the best present since you've been alive 😂

i stuck a beer in one of these and it tasted 1% better than any beer i've ever imbibed 🍺

@erikthredd I'll grab your addy when i get home

Galaxy, you're a good hombre. Thanks.

I really needed a drink minutes ago when Jaylen Brown almost gave the game away but our new 7-3 center decided to close out the game for a win. Porzingis dropped 30pts/8reb/4blk and I can't wait to see him & Wemby go head to head.

Wemby just knocks down his first career three and that defender running out to him was neer going to affect that shot lol.

@erikthredd said:

@galaxy27 said:
this is what happens when your b-day falls on the same day as Wemby's first NBA game and i happen to be there........you receive the best present since you've been alive 😂

i stuck a beer in one of these and it tasted 1% better than any beer i've ever imbibed 🍺

@erikthredd I'll grab your addy when i get home

Galaxy, you're a good hombre. Thanks.

I really needed a drink minutes ago when Jaylen Brown almost gave the game away but our new 7-3 center decided to close out the game for a win. Porzingis dropped 30pts/8reb/4blk and I can't wait to see him & Wemby go head to head.

Wemby just knocks down his first career three and that defender running out to him was neer going to affect that shot lol.

...
It was great having KP.

erikthredd

@thisistheshow said:

@erikthredd said:

@galaxy27 said:
this is what happens when your b-day falls on the same day as Wemby's first NBA game and i happen to be there........you receive the best present since you've been alive 😂

i stuck a beer in one of these and it tasted 1% better than any beer i've ever imbibed 🍺

@erikthredd I'll grab your addy when i get home

Galaxy, you're a good hombre. Thanks.

I really needed a drink minutes ago when Jaylen Brown almost gave the game away but our new 7-3 center decided to close out the game for a win. Porzingis dropped 30pts/8reb/4blk and I can't wait to see him & Wemby go head to head.

Wemby just knocks down his first career three and that defender running out to him was neer going to affect that shot lol.

@erikthredd said:

@galaxy27 said:
this is what happens when your b-day falls on the same day as Wemby's first NBA game and i happen to be there........you receive the best present since you've been alive 😂

i stuck a beer in one of these and it tasted 1% better than any beer i've ever imbibed 🍺

@erikthredd I'll grab your addy when i get home

Galaxy, you're a good hombre. Thanks.

I really needed a drink minutes ago when Jaylen Brown almost gave the game away but our new 7-3 center decided to close out the game for a win. Porzingis dropped 30pts/8reb/4blk and I can't wait to see him & Wemby go head to head.

Wemby just knocks down his first career three and that defender running out to him was neer going to affect that shot lol.

...
It was great having KP.

Yup,I can't wait until these guys actually build up some continuity with each other.

That Flop though. 🤣

erikthredd

Jesus that 2nd three looked like a fadeaway from 26ft. Very Dirk-esque.

erikthredd

Maybe see Luka attempt a couple stepback threes with VW in his face.

Luka bricked that first attempt.

galaxy27

got his first NBA bucket on vid.....I'll try to upload later

here's his second 3-ball

Curry's record in jeopardy already? 😂

galaxy27

in pregame warm-ups i saw him touch the top of the backboard with ease

he's very agile and athletic for his height, but it will probably take a while to get him established in the paint

hoping for a thunderous dunk in the 2nd half

galaxy27

how about Jeremy Sochan shooting one-handed free throws?

thisistheshow

I thought it was a very good game.

The way the Mavs closed it out is exactly how thy want it to happen, I assume.

Wemby came back in 4th quarter after sitting with foul trouble and immediately there was energy in the building. He also delivered. 9 points in the 4th. Even had that thunderous, kind of, dunk, with the chance for an and one, but missed the FT.

Looking forward to the rest of your post about the game.

galaxy27

not the greatest of shots, but here are some Wemby scoring plays in the 4th, with his 1st career FT attempt sandwiched in between

galaxy27

my thoughts on the game mirror showstopper's in many ways.

there was a learning curve that took place during that game for VW. i think he realized that he better tighten things up on D, otherwise the fouls can and will rack up.......and quick. and they did. but to his credit, he was most aggressive with 5 fouls and the game on the line. he played a very good 4th quarter.

kid is going to be a beast. 15 & 5 in his debut when he was slowed down considerably by foul trouble is not bad. there are so many aspects of his game that don't scream 7'4". the velvety touch is conspicuous, but one thing i noticed that will never be found on a stat sheet is the number of shots that never took place because he altered them with his pterodactyl wingspan, thereby forcing the Mavericks deeper into the shot clock. i can count at least a handful of times i saw a Mav ready to rise up, only to say f that and go to plan B. no doubt he'll win some DPOY awards in his career.

as for the Mavs, watching Luka in person is such a treat. dude is a professional scorer. there's no other way to describe it. he will tie you in knots -- inside and out. just when you're prepared for an onslaught at the rack, he steps back and drills one in your eye. and vice versa. when a game is on the line like the one tonight, it's such a good thing to have a Luka Doncic on your roster because you'll be in the best possible hands.

great game. feel free to keep this thread rolling whenever you so choose. not sure if I'll be able to post Wemby's first bucket (a vid) due to formatting issues on here, but I'll look into it tomorrow night. i anticipated it like a champ and nailed it.......like he did that 3-ball.

erikthredd

I called it a night at the end of the 3rd quarter and it looks like I missed a pretty good showing in the 4th. Right around when he got his 4th foul I was thinking that this might be a way for opposing teams to either slow his game or take him out entirely with foul trouble but from how aggressive he played with the 5 fouls,it wasn't an issue last night.

I checked out his highlights from last and what stood out to me the most was how smooth he was shooting those threes and in a couple 3pt attempts he had the opposing center literally in his face and he knocked down both threes with ease.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiEqAvOaB2E
Watch the plays at the :21and :44 marks, both times he had Mavs rookie center Dereck Lively Jr covering him out at the 3pt line. Lively is 7-1 with a 7-7 wingspan and a 9-4 standing reach. If VW can casually drain those threes with that type of length right in his face he's going to score a ton of points without having to really work for them. He shot 3-5 from three and that 60% is almost certainly to drop but somewhere in the 38-44%range from three is very realistic.

I compared his first NBA game statline to Tim Duncan's first game and they were very similar:
Duncan 15pts/10reb/2ass/2blk/4TOs w/6-9 shooting
Wemby 15pts/5reb/2ass/2stl/1blk/5TOs w/6-9 shooting & 3/5 from three

Duncan won a championship by year 2 (strike shortened year) but that Spurs roster had a ton of vets in David Robinson,
Avery Johnson, Sean Elliott, Mario Elie & Steve Kerr.

This 2023 Spurs roster is made up of mostly younger players (only 3 players over 25yrs old) but they own a crapton of draft pick especially in the near future.
2024: 3 1sts & 1 2nd
2025: 3 1sts & 3 2nds
2026: 1 1st & 5 2nds
2027: 2 1sts & 2 2nds
2028: 1 1st & 4 2nds
2029: 1 1st & 2 2nds
2030: 2 1sts & 2 2nds
Some of those picks have protections but would likely just push them back a year or two.

Its going to be interesing to see how SA's front office and Pop play this all out in the next 2-3 years. if they decide to push up their timeline w/Wemby then they have real assets that could bring back mutliple star players. IMO, their next step should be finding an elite PG to team up w/VW.
I know that Ja Morant has alot going on in his life right now but if Memphis ever decides at some point, enough is enough, and puts him on the trade block SA should seriously think hard about making a move for him. You also have Lamelo Ball & Luka would may decide to ask out at some point. The Spurs could realistically make deals for multiple Star players and still have plenty of picks leftover.

Last night was obviously just one game but Popovich isn't getting any younger and he may decide its better to build that next contender sooner rather than later.

doubledragon

Fascinating player, please keep this thread going. I was a big Tim Duncan fan, I grew up watching him play down here at Wake Forest in the 90s, so I followed the Spurs a bit during that dynasty run you guys had. Good luck with the season, looking forward to following this thread!

galaxy27

here it is -- Wemby's first NBA bucket for posterity. had to go the youtube route. i still love that it was a 3

https://youtube.com/shorts/PsS9Acx0VOc?si=PRhn6qBSTJt4bqt6

galaxy27

21, 12 and 3 blocks in game #2 tonight (a win)

thisistheshow

I missed all of the NBA games,just watched the highlights from the Celtics win. Going to check out the Spurs now

thisistheshow

Those back to back blocks on the same possession with about 2 minutes left in regulation were very nicely done.

galaxy27

@erikthredd
@thisistheshow

you may have seen this already showstopper

how can anyone watch this and not foresee greatness? making plays like this in his 2nd freaking NBA game

game on the line, give me the damn ball.........acting like he's done it 1,000 times before

swatting Jabari Smith left and right like he's a gnat

his versatility is just so sick

https://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=38759820

thisistheshow

Watching the game last night, then watching the full game highlights from the game tonight, not just his, so I saw a little of his off ball work, it seems as though he has a great grasp of the fundamentals.

And also, oh so importantly, a flair for crunch time.

Look like Holmgren had 7 blocks tonight in a solid performance. I'm not sure if anyone else will step up and challenge for ROTY.

Wemby gives off that "fundamentals feel" , sort of , that Tim Duncan had. Very different. Weird comparison. It's probably just seeing him as a Spur. Lol

galaxy27

@thisistheshow said:

Wemby gives off that "fundamentals feel" , sort of , that Tim Duncan had. Very different. Weird comparison. It's probably just seeing him as a Spur. Lol

the Spurs cultivating a generational big man...........that's just what they do

erikthredd

Not a bad statline after his home opener. 21/12/1/2/3
He did go 0-6 from three but it was Wemby's basket near the end of regulation that put the game into OT. It wasn't a designed play,just gave it to him in the right side corner baseline and let him go 1on1.

galaxy27

i don't think Pop has drawn up a single designed play for him yet. on opening night he was like the 3rd or 4th option, basically just roaming around the court extemporizing. it's just raw talent shining through right now. i can't help but look into the future and think about what he's going to be like about 5 years and 20-25 pounds from now. i just hope the kid stays healthy, because he has a chance to be unlike any player the association has ever seen.

btw i stumbled across this pic the other day -- a block in a preseason game against the Warriors. when you take into account that Andrew Wiggins is 6'8".........and thus his release point is probably in the 9' neighborhood..........to see Wemby blocking this shot when it has already traveled another 5 feet or so is just too much for my brain to process. pterodactyl wingspan, like i said up above. there's just no reason for him not to average at least 3 of these a game at some point in his career.

erikthredd

A few nights back ESPN had the BOS/NY & SA/DAL doubleheader and during their pregame show,they had an interesting comparison for Wemby that I'm still not sure that I see. A cross between Kareem & Tracy McGrady.

I could see the Kareem comparison but T-Mac? He was a very explosive highlight reel type of player at the SF position. McGrady would throw down Dunk contest-level-dunks in game and who can forget this epic performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4QuUYG6kxI
Maybe its his high release point on the three and athleticism that some see in Wemby.I have a feeling that the more games Victor plays, the more comparisons we'll hear.

I also hope the kid stays healthy too, SA has always been my WC team going back to when the Admiral came to town (and we got those '89 Hoops rookies.) After Bird & Jordan, Duncan & Robinson are 3/4 on my all-time favs list who I saw play. Manu is high on that list too.

BLUEJAYWAY

Watched the game. During the crown pan shots I looked for you, but could not locate you.LOL. > @galaxy27 said:

i don't think Pop has drawn up a single designed play for him yet. on opening night he was like the 3rd or 4th option, basically just roaming around the court extemporizing. it's just raw talent shining through right now. i can't help but look into the future and think about what he's going to be like about 5 years and 20-25 pounds from now. i just hope the kid stays healthy, because he has a chance to be unlike any player the association has ever seen.

btw i stumbled across this pic the other day -- a block in a preseason game against the Warriors. when you take into account that Andrew Wiggins is 6'8".........and thus his release point is probably in the 9' neighborhood..........to see Wemby blocking this shot when it has already traveled another 5 feet or so is just too much for my brain to process. pterodactyl wingspan, like i said up above. there's just no reason for him not to average at least 3 of these a game at some point in his career.

If made into a poster, will sell alot of them.

oilers99

Watched Wemby last night vs the Clippers. Spurs got blown out by 40. Wemby had 11 pts and 5 rebs in 26 mins - played around the perimeter and rarely in the paint. He won't get a lot of rebounds playing so far from the basket.

craig44

Wemby is built differently. I wonder what his wingspan is? also his vertical?

I remember hearing back in the spring before the draft that he is actually still growing. I wonder if there is any truth to that?

erikthredd

@craig44 said:
Wemby is built differently. I wonder what his wingspan is? also his vertical?

I remember hearing back in the spring before the draft that he is actually still growing. I wonder if there is any truth to that?

His wingspan is 8'-0"
Vertical jump 32"
Standing reach 9'-7"

His vertical jump isn't all that great compared to players like MJ & Wilt who supposedly had a 48" vertical jump.
i thought Vince Carter would have been #1 but his was just 43".

galaxy27

idk if you guys saw David Thompson play, but i remember watching him in the early 80s and he had crazy hops

@SanctionII can probably come along and validate that statement

erikthredd

Unfortunately I've only seen David Thompson's highlight clips on YT.

SanctionII

Luke Skywalker, aka David Thompson (6'4") could jump out of the gym. I recall that his vertical leap measured at 48 inches and his standing jump was 44 inches.

When I played my best vertical leap was 36" and I thought that was pretty good. With that I could touch 11"6" on the back board (the top of the backboard is supposedly 13 ' above the floor).

I remember Lonnie Wright, who graduated from Colorado State University in 1966. He played in the NFL and in the ABA for the Denver Broncos and the Denver Rockets. He was 6'2" tall. He supposedly would bet people that he could jump up and touch the top of the backboard in basketball. He would have a person take the bet and the person would place coins or currency on top of the backboard (by climbing a ladder). After the money was placed on top of the backboard he would take a running start, jump, retrieve the money from the top of the backboard and keep it.

I remember hearing this story multiple times growing up in Denver as a kid. I do not know if it is true, but if it is true Lonnie Wright's vertical jump must have been at least 66".

Here is a picture of Lonnie Wright.

craig44

@erikthredd said:

@craig44 said:
Wemby is built differently. I wonder what his wingspan is? also his vertical?

I remember hearing back in the spring before the draft that he is actually still growing. I wonder if there is any truth to that?

His wingspan is 8'-0"
Vertical jump 32"
Standing reach 9'-7"

His vertical jump isn't all that great compared to players like MJ & Wilt who supposedly had a 48" vertical jump.
i thought Vince Carter would have been #1 but his was just 43".

I am not too surprised by the "small" vertical. most really tall guys do not have a vertical that is too impressive.

I am not sure if Wilt really did have a 48" vertical. if he did, he was certainly a unicorn at his height. there is no hard evidence, like college or pro draft day measurements. It is all anecdotal evidence. there is an interesting article about wilts possible vertical though. it is an interesting read.

https://epokperformance.com/wilt-chamberlain-vertical-jump/

erikthredd

@craig44 said:

@erikthredd said:

@craig44 said:
Wemby is built differently. I wonder what his wingspan is? also his vertical?

I remember hearing back in the spring before the draft that he is actually still growing. I wonder if there is any truth to that?

His wingspan is 8'-0"
Vertical jump 32"
Standing reach 9'-7"

His vertical jump isn't all that great compared to players like MJ & Wilt who supposedly had a 48" vertical jump.
i thought Vince Carter would have been #1 but his was just 43".

I am not too surprised by the "small" vertical. most really tall guys do not have a vertical that is too impressive.

Well it shouldn't affect him in the dunk contest if he goes that route.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4skw5JLeX4

galaxy27

and there it is. Wemby went off tonight for 38 & 10. but that's only part of the story. the Spurs were up by 27 in the 2nd quarter. with a little over 4 minutes remaining in the 4th, the game was tied. then Wemby said, "this total collapse is not going to happen on my watch".........and he took over the game. scored 10 points in the next 2 1/2 minutes and put it away. inside and out, he couldn't be stopped.

the kid is gonna be a superstar.

craig44

@galaxy27, I think you are right. Wemby looks like the whole package. What a HUGE game so early in his rookie season. I only hope he can stay healthy.

erikthredd

I think that the best part about his scoring in this game was that he never really go hot yet still ended up with 38. No barrage of threes,just buck after methodical bucket reminiscent of Tim Duncan.

I wouldn't be surprised to see SA as a darkhorse team in the tournament.

thisistheshow

The NBA should be ashamed of itself for creating this "tournament".

SanctionII

It is interesting to compare NBA team rosters of today to those of previous decades. The players of today who are 6'10" or taller are vastly different from their predecessors.

It used to be that such tall players mostly played near the basket. They posted up in the paint to receive passes from the players on the perimeter. Once they received the ball they made post moves to position themselves to shoot, or they shot hook shots (i.e. Kareem) or turn around jump shots, or they passed the ball out to other players on the perimeter or who were slashing to the basket. They also rebounded and played defense near the basket.

Many of these players were limited in their physical skills (i.e. Mark Eaton) and had limited or no ability to effectively dribble the ball or play offense or defense away from the basket on the perimeter. There were some exceptions as a few of these tall players could play away from the basket (i.e. Hakeem Olajawon).

Not so much today.

Today's taller players (i.e. Durant, Giannis, VW) have developed a skill set that allows them to play anywhere on the court.

The trend in basketball (at all levels) is towards having five players on the floor that have the skills, talent and ability to play all 5 positions. Constant motion, with multiple quick passes per offensive possession to find an open player who can shoot, drive and distribute the ball from anywhere on the floor makes for a faster paced, more exciting game. This type of game is more enjoyable to watch than a game where a ball dominant player plays an isolation game (i.e. Harden) on offense that results in the other four players not being involved in an offensive trip down the court. As offenses trend toward constant motion play, the opposing team that is defending needs to have its players have the speed and quickness necessary to keep up with the players on the team that has the ball (i.e. whoever is guarding Steph Curry is required to stay attached to Curry like his shadow throughout each 24 second offensive possession while Curry is running all over the floor (with or without the ball) to create scoring opportunities for him and his teammates).

Accordingly, the players who are on NBA rosters today are ones who have gotten taller than their predecessors (at all positions), have been playing all positions on the floor since they were in first grade and who have the physical abilities that allow them to play an entire game at full speed (with quickness, reaction time, strength, leaping ability, etc. that is off the charts).

Imagine what professional basketball (NBA and around the world) will look like in the next 25 years. I can see rosters where the average height of all players approaches 7', where the basket is raised from 10' to 11' or even 12', where the court is lengthened by 20' and is widened by 10' and where the average points per game scored by both teams exceeds 150 points.

To make the imagined future more real, imagine a game where the two teams playing each other have on the floor at one time 10 players that have the height and skill set of VW.

galaxy27

to sanction's point, check out San Antonio's starting 5:

Devin Vassell - 6'5"
Keldon Johnson - 6'5"
Jeremy Sochan - 6'8"
Zach Collins - 6'11"
Victor Wembanyama - 7'4"

erikthredd

Sanction, you make some good points there. My only rebuttal would be,while NBA teams would love to fill their roster with 7" types that can do it all, those players are very had to come by. For every Wembanyama,Giannis,Durant or Porzingis there are hundreds of players with height that don't pan out once they're in the league.

We know that NBA teams have been looking to fill their roster with lengthy defenders that shoot can shoot,drive & distribute at a high level. That has been Boston's MO in recent years that led to their current starting five of White/Jrue/Brown/Tatum/Porzingis then off their bench you have 6-9 Al Horford, 6-7 Sam Hauser,6-7 Oshae Brissett,7-1 Luke Kornet,6-8 Dalano Banton, 6-7 Svi Mykhailiuk,6-7 Lamar Stevens, 7-0 Neemias Queta & 6-7 Jordan Walsh.

Then to a lesser extent with the Raptors going with 4/5 starters that are 6-7 or taller in Anunoby,Barnes,Siakam & Poeltl then the rest of their rotation is mostly filled out with similar players in 6-8 Precious Achiuwa/6-9 Chris Boucher,7-0 Christain Koloko,6-9 Jalen McDaniels,6-8 Otto Porter & 6-8 Thaddeus Young.

Thats just two examples but even then its tough filling out a roster with players that can do it all. In Boston's case, those players off the bench are mostly shooters that can handle the ball with some decent defenders thrown in. With Toronto its the opposite where there aren't many above average shooters but they have plenty of athletic defenders.

I do think that players will keep evolving where we see more 7 footers like Wemby,Joker,Durant,Dirk & Porzingis but there are only so many players with that type of height, let alone skillset, that come up in the ranks. Usually kids growing up with that type of height automatically get steered towards organized basketball and once they're on the fast track to the NBA,it comes less about developing their game and more about AAU ball, a one and done year in college then entering the draft.

Every once in awhile we're lucky enough to see that Unicorn type of player that not only gets to the league and shows us something that we really haven't seen before but also has the work ethic to become really special.
Just look at these past 3-4 years with Giannis, Joker and now VW, international basketball has been very good to the NBA in regards to very unique big men, hopefully they keep it coming.

SanctionII

erikthredd

My most recent comment is not directed at pro basketball today. It is directed at looking 25 years into the future. Today's NBA rosters are much different than those same rosters from 30-40 years ago.

With basketball becoming more and more global and with kids around the world paying organized hoops from about 6 years old forward, the pipeline of new talent that will have been in training for about 10-11 years prior to turning 18 will result in an elevation of the maturity, skills, talents and abilities (physical and mental) of young players to a level that exceeds what we see now. Amazingly talented players from across the globe (some who begin playing professionally since they turned 14 years of age) will flow into the NBA.

When I see NBA teams play games in the 2023-2024 season, I am awed to see how many players aged 18-21 there are on rosters. They look like high schoolers in their faces, but they are phenomenal athletes. Many are already NBA ready and can contribute to a team's success either as a starter or as a bench player who plays 20+ minutes a game.

This trend of younger and more talented players flowing into the NBA every year from across the globe is not going to slow down. It will only accelerate.

erikthredd

@SanctionII said:
erikthredd

My most recent comment is not directed at pro basketball today. It is directed at looking 25 years into the future. Today's NBA rosters are much different than those same rosters from 30-40 years ago.

With basketball becoming more and more global and with kids around the world paying organized hoops from about 6 years old forward, the pipeline of new talent that will have been in training for about 10-11 years prior to turning 18 will result in an elevation of the maturity, skills, talents and abilities (physical and mental) of young players to a level that exceeds what we see now. Amazingly talented players from across the globe (some who begin playing professionally since they turned 14 years of age) will flow into the NBA.

When I see NBA teams play games in the 2023-2024 season, I am awed to see how many players aged 18-21 there are on rosters. They look like high schoolers in their faces, but they are phenomenal athletes. Many are already NBA ready and can contribute to a team's success either as a starter or as a bench player who plays 20+ minutes a game.

This trend of younger and more talented players flowing into the NBA every year from across the globe is not going to slow down. It will only accelerate.

Gotcha. My comment was in mostly reference to this I can see rosters where the average height of all players approaches 7'. Some teams have already tried going for as much length as possible,like galaxy & I pointed out above, and even in the future I think that there's going to be a real shortage of elite 7 footers.

While we're blessed to see these truly unique bigs, the game itself has shied away from the big man in the traditional sense where teams routinely go with smallball centers now to create advantages but that's an argument for another day.

erikthredd

While on the topic of skilled big men, I have two names to keep an eye on in the next few years who many think are going to be among the elite NBA bigs real soon.
Alperen Sengun of the Rockets who,at 21, is considered a poor man's version of Nikola Jokic with his passing. He looks like the reincarnation of Pau Gasol out there but not as good defensively. He's started the season averaging 19/8/6 w/42% from three and many fans are waiting to see if Ime Udoka ever decides to run the offense through Sengun like Denver does Jokic.

The other is Jalen Duren with the Pistons. He's built like a young Dwight Howard and once he puts on some more muscle he's going to have a very similar impact on defense & rebounding that Howard had. Last season as a 19yr old rookie he finished top 5 in offensive rebounds per game and he's started out this season averaging 14/11/3/1.

Both players have a ton of good young talent surrounding them and recently hired head coaches in Ime Udoka & Monty Williams to help them each take that next step.