Bol Bol vs. Victor Wembanyama (The 7'4 Scary Truth)

You want to be just like your daddy? Yes. Why? Because I love basketball. Everyone talks about the victor dude from France. I'm not trying to compare them, but Bowl's 7'2", shoots threes, brings it up the court, makes passes, and blocks shots. I feel like people kind of forget about him, but Bowl's a freak in nature. Those are the words of the number one pick in the 2022 draft. Boncaro's on Bowl Bowl and Wambunyama when he spoke to Michael Scotto. The Orlando Magic are ahead of the game. They have their own. The man's so nice, they named him twice. Bowl Bowl was a blue chip recruit after an injury-shortened college career. He slipped all the way down to the 44th pick of the 2019 NBA draft, despite being considered a top lottery pick right up to its start time. Late rumors about his pre-draft medical reports combined with concerns about his size led to him being passed over for guaranteed money, instead falling into the two-way contract range. He was finally drafted by the Miami Heat to be immediately traded to the Denver Nuggets. After being stuck on the bench to begin his career in Denver, it's been frustrating for him and his fans, but things are starting to look up. The Orlando Magic have decided to let Bowl Bowl cook. The same cannot be said on Victor Wambunyama. This French phenom is currently standing at 7'5 in shoes with an 8-foot wingspan. He has been making waves in the basketball world and is poised to be the first overall pick in the NBA draft. Now, I know what you're thinking, another tall guy, big deal. But trust me, this guy is unlike anyone we've ever seen before. He's got the handles and shot of a man a foot shorter and his defensive range is just unfathomable. Plus, he's just a wiry big man, which means he's got the speed and agility to keep up with the smaller players. And even though Adam Silver put teams on notice regarding tanking, multiple NBA teams are still deliberately tanking their season just to get a chance at Victor. That shows how highly he's regarded in the basketball world and that's why most people regard him as the best basketball prospect we've seen since LeBron James. Wemby is an absolute beast on the court right now. He's currently playing for the Metropolitan 92 in the LNB Pro A. And he's putting up some insane numbers, averaging 22.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. And get this, he recently just played for France in the World Cup European qualifiers and absolutely killed it. He scored 22 points, grabbed a whopping 17 rebounds. Yeah, that's right. 17 rebounds. And even dished out an assist, helping the French team secure a 72 to 59 win against the Czech Republic. Now, if you've been following the Magic this season, you know that they've had their fair share of ups and downs. Some games, they look like they're on top of the world. And other times, they leave us scratching our heads wondering what went wrong. And that's where Bol Bol comes in. This center has become the face of the team's unpredictability. On some nights, he's putting up impressive numbers, dominating the court and leading his team to victory. But then there are other nights where he seems to disappear, leaving fans wondering where he went and what happened to his mojo. It's almost like Bol Bol embodies the very essence of the Magic season, full of highs and lows, moments of greatness and moments of frustration. But despite the roller coaster ride that the Magic had been on, Bol Bol is an integral part of this team and a player to watch out for. The exciting part is that the Orlando Magic are actually giving him the chance to prove himself as an NBA player. Unlike his previous team, the Nuggets, where he only played in 53 games and averaged a measly 6.2 minutes. After a great hot streak from Bol Bol in the first half of the season, in which his highlights looked like he was playing a totally different sport, it's become in vogue to compare him to Wumbayama, mostly because of their similar physique. With the Magic struggling for healthy bodies for much of the first half of the season, Bol came out of the gates flying. He was their most important player to begin the year, and marveled fans with his unexpected and seemingly off-the-cuff offensive abilities. Bol Bol has an incredible ability to shoot on the move, spin into the lane, and create everything off the bounce. And you know what? It's almost Wumbayama-esque. Some of his moves on the court have got people shook, like when he crossed over Fred Van Vliet, drove into the lane, and passed it out for a three. It was like he was on a whole different level. And let's be real, it's hard not to compare him to Wemby with the way he's playing. The latest to do as much is Paulo Boncaro, you heard from him at the start of this video. Wumbayama has a higher usage rate than Bol Bol, and this means that he's involved in more plays and has a greater impact on the game. He's also really good at creating his own shot, both in isolation and off the dribble. This is a pretty rare skill, and it's definitely something that sets him apart from other players. What is for sure is that there is only one Victor Wumbayama. This guy is a game changer, and it's no wonder that everyone is on the hunt for another player like him. You know how it goes when a Just like when Dirk Nowitzki burst onto the scene and sent NBA GMs and scouts on a mission to find the next face-up non-American 7-footer, so too will the addition of this latest unicorn inevitability trigger a worldwide search for his passable imitators. Bol Bol has got some serious handles for a big man. I mean, he's not gonna get ripped too often, but you can still see him moving like a big man when he's dribbling. Wemby, on the other hand, has handles that are legit guard level, and he's got some serious fluidity in his game. You can tell how comfortable he is with the ball on his hands because he's not afraid to iso on the perimeter, unlike most bigs who just turn around and back down. Wemby is also versatile, to say the least. With some serious range in his bag, he's a real threat from beyond the arc. But that's not all. On defense, he's got some serious potential. He looks like he could be the centerpiece and anchor of an NBA franchise defense in the future, just like his countryman, Rudy Gobert. Now, Bol Bol has got some serious skills, but let's be real. He's still pretty new to the game. He's got this smooth way of moving around the court that just draws your attention, but you can tell he hasn't had a ton of high-level experience yet. Bol's physical profile is no joke. He has the potential to be a great defender, just like Victor, but here's the thing. In order to really realize that potential, he's got to commit to the parts of defense that don't always show up in the stats. Things like second efforts, chase downs, and closeouts are all crucial to becoming an elite defender. Unfortunately, Bol's defensive motor, fundamentals, and positioning are all lagging behind his offensive skills, and while his long reach can occasionally bail him out, he can't rely on that all the time. Wemby, on the other hand, is a completely different story. His defensive game is already top-notch, he's got the motor, the fundamentals, and the positioning down the court. Bol Bol disappearance. But then, just as quickly as it seemed Bol Bol had arrived, he has vanished back into the crevices of the Orlando Magic's rotation again, and he has at times struggled to find his footing and roll with the team. Bol Bol has only managed to get 17.4 minutes of action per game in January. That's a bit of a drop from his December performance, where he was getting a So, what's the deal? Well, it's pretty simple, actually. The reason Bol's playing time has decreased is because of some changes in the team's lineup. Starting center, Wendell Carter is back to being healthy, which means he is getting more minutes on the court. Additionally, Jonathan Isaac is also back after a lengthy hiatus and showing some great defensive skills, so he is also getting more playing time. And to top it off, Mo Wagner is providing a great source of energy off the bench. Then there was Mo Bamba, the 5th year big man who was in direct competition with Bol Bol for minutes. It would be a stretch to say the two overlapped in terms of skillset, but what was equally true was that the roster was not big enough for both of them to thrive in limited minutes. But now, with Mo gone, the hope is that Bol Bol will get more minutes and regain his start of the season form. So, while Bol might not have been getting as much playing time as earlier, it's important to remember that there are some other factors at play. But hey, I'm sure he'll be back to his role soon enough. As always, thanks for watching, and until next time, take care.