Best 50 Olympic basketball list makes weird decision on Wembanyama's place
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Team France completed their exhibition games in a finale against Australia that came down to the wire. San Antonio Spurs family friend Patty Mills led his team to a one-point victory over Victor Wembanyama's squad with 24 points. Victor filled up the stat sheet with 17 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and one block, but it wasn't enough to lift his team to victory.
However, it was enough to solidify one thing that should have been obvious since the construction of the team: Wembanyama is their best player. Five of their six exhibition games were streamed on official NBA channels like YouTube, and if you watched the games, there was no doubt who made the largest impact on a play-to-play basis. It makes the decision to list Rudy Gobert above Wemby on any list—let alone an Olympic list where they are on the same team, making it easier than ever to see the disparity in talent—ridiculous at best.
@SBNation ranks the top 50 basketball players in the Olympics. The top 10 are:
— Jah (@JahlilWill) July 23, 2024
1. Nikola Jokic
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo
3. SGA
4. Stephen Curry
5. LeBron James
6. Kevin Durant
7. Joel Embiid
8. Rudy Gobert
9. Anthony Davis
10. Jayson Tatum
Victor Wembanyama comes in at #11
Gobert over Wembanyama seems forced
In Victor's first Olympic action against Turkey, he put up 24 points and six rebounds while dishing out four assists, getting one steal and rejecting three shots. Gobert is a very good player, but there's nothing wrong with not being the best on the team. He doesn't command a double team, drawing the attention that Wemby does on offense, and despite the results of the Defensive Player of the Year award, Vic is a better defender.
There is no world in which Gobert should be ranked higher than Victor Wembanyama on any list. He has been nicknamed "The Alien" for a reason. Stop trying to fight the wave and ride it; life will be easier.
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