Victor Wembanyama suggests NBA is less physical than Europe

Victor Wembanyama is considered to be one of the greatest prospects in the history of the NBA. Listed at an astonishing height of 7-foot-3, Wemby has all of the skills of a guard and is already a terrific defender on the other end of the floor. The French phenom has been playing professional basketball for a long time in Europe but has little experience with the NBA.

Wembanyama played two NBA Summer League games and seems to already notice a few differences between the NBA and France. 

"First of all, the court is more open [here]. It's going fast, but it's less physical," he told reporters. "I get fouled a lot, but not as much. Nothing to compare. Here, players are just flying. Out there, it's more on the ground, pushing on the ground, big box-outs.

"Here, it's great athletes, the best in the world. Way more talent. But I like this better, though."

At times, Wembanyama seemed to struggle with physicality in his first two Summer League games. He was falling to the floor often and turned over the ball frequently when driving to the basket. However, he seemed to be much more comfortable by the end of his second game, in which he finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.

We will see if Wemby still has the same belief about the physicality of the NBA once he plays his first regular-season game. For now, his outlook on the league seems to point toward NBA players being more athletic compared to the brute strength he might have faced in France. Summer League was just a small sample size of the athleticism and strength of NBA players. Soon, Wembanyama will be matched against strong players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Zion Williamson.

Still, there seems to be a certain toughness about European players that translates well to the NBA. For example, Luka Doncic quickly found his footing after playing professional basketball overseas, winning the Rookie of the Year Award for the 2018-19 season. If Wembanyama has any of the talent and toughness that Doncic has, he will quickly be successful in the NBA.