5 Reasons Gregg Popovich is the perfect coach for Victor Wembanyama

#1: Popovich will let Wembanyama be himself

Despite having been a coach for nearly 30 years, Popovich isn't as set in his ways as other old-school coaches might be. That is great news for Wembanyama, who is unlike anything we've ever seen before on a basketball court.

Therefore, trying to mold him into a strictly back-to-the-basket big man wouldn't be the best use of his considerable talents. Instead, Popovich will almost certainly let Wembanyama have a lot more leeway to play out on the perimeter than many might expect, something most other coaches would discourage.

This is especially true considering that he has shown surprisingly tight handles for someone his size, potentially allowing him to attack the basket off the dribble like a guard against opposing fives. Popovich could even run some plays where he is the ball handler in the pick-and-roll, forcing far shorter players to contest his shots.

For all of the outside-the-box ideas in which he can be used, Popovich will also be sure to get him easy baskets in more traditional ways, but he won't prevent Wembanyama from doing the things that make him the likely number one pick.