Bill Simmons made an inappropriate comment about Victor Wembanyama on his podcast, criticizing his longevity in light of the deep vein thrombosis that has sidelined him this season. Expressing ambivalence about his body type is one thing, but Simmons went too far, coming across as tone deaf and uninformed.
“I don’t believe coming to San Antonio guarantees him anything. I’m not sure if Wembanyama… Do we even know he’ll be playing 60 games every year? His body makes me nervous; he’s already been down once.” – Simmons discusses probable destinations for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Simmons should understand that DVT isn’t a long-term issue.
We know Vic played in over 70 games as a rookie and would have played more if the coaches had not been too cautious with him. We also know that he was on track to play 73 games this season, and what kept him out had nothing to do with his physical characteristics.
It’s ludicrous to combine DVT, which can happen to anyone, with injury difficulties that have plagued the greats of history. Medical experts advising the Spurs have already determined that the problem was detected early enough to be completely treated. Wembanyama has stated on multiple occasions that the illness is “behind him.”
This is all public information that someone as knowledgeable about the NBA as Bill Simmons should be aware of. There is no need to scare the public about a promising young player that everyone wants to see fulfill his full potential.
This was a badly written thought from someone with a large platform.
Simmons’ argument was that the Greek Freak should request to be dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers in order to have a better chance at winning another championship. He offered that the Cavs transfer Evan Mobley to Milwaukee in exchange for Giannis’ services, as if that was enough. Mobley is an excellent player, but new sources suggest that the Bucks intend to “gut” the team that trades for their franchise player.
Mobley isn’t going to get it done, and they don’t want to give up too many pieces, which they’d have to do because their first-round draft assets are virtually non-existent. Not to mention, Milwaukee’s front management is unlikely to want to deal him within the conference. Throwing this idea around doesn’t make any sense.
There are no guarantees in athletics (unless you construct a super squad, as the Warriors did with Kevin Durant, but the new CBA makes that nearly impossible anymore). However, selecting an organization with a record for assembling strong teams, reinventing itself, and caring for its stars is a safer bet than most.
Wembanyama is very deliberate about his workout regimen. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen from a player of his size. That should help him stay on the court and achieve the heights we envision for him: GOAT. Why wouldn’t Giannis want to play next to that?
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