Before 2023 No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama’s arrival, Virginia native Ralph Sampson was the prototypical center. The No. 1 pick in the 1983 NBA Draft, Sampson left college as a three-time AP Player of the Year and two-time Wooden Award winner after averaging 16.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game.
Prototype Center Ralph Sampson Weighs In On Victor Wembanyama, Bol Bol
Skilled and slender, the 7-foot-4 pivot rightly began his career with quite a lot of fanfare. Getting his start with the Houston Rockets, Sampson went on to win Rookie of the Year in 1984. He was named an All-Star in each of his first four seasons.
Sampson’s career took a rapid turn in 1987 when he sustained a “large cartilage tear.” His left knee would bother him throughout his career, preventing him from revolutionizing the game the way he was expected to. Even still, there are now two supersized bigs in the NBA who could.
One is Wembanyama, who is already being touted as the future of the league. The other is Bol Bol, who’s under contract with the championship-contending Phoenix Suns. Sampson recently weighed in on both big men.
Victor Wembanyama
“Victor Wembanyama’s a different player at a different time of basketball,” Sampson tells Arizona Republic’s Dana Scott. “He’s got great skills. He’s got great work ethic with what you can tell, but he don’t have to play the post, and if he did it’d be a different ball game. But there’s not big guys who can play against him.
“He’s playing against little people, so the game is totally different. We had to play against guys here like Terry Cummings, A.C. Green, Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), Artis Gilmore, you got real men that will beat your a— in the post.”
Wembanyama’s guard skills at 7-foot-4 allow him to stand out more than his height already would. The Frenchman is capable of creating his own shot, scoring off-the-dribble, and dialing in from 3-point range. He also has nascent playmaking skills, which the San Antonio Spurs began to lean into late in his rookie season.
Defensively, he’s as dominant a rim-protector as his frame would suggest. He not only covers a lot of ground, but has a genuine desire to turn away shots. In the modern era, his ability to guard out in space is what really sets him apart though.
To Sampson’s point, Wembanyama isn’t facing a lot of formidable low-post players. As a result, his job might be a bit easier than it has been in a different era. He himself needs to improve as a post player, refining his technique and adding leg strength.
However, the sky is the limit for The Extraterrestrial.
Bol Bol
A potential top-5 pick before an untimely pre-draft injury, Bol has limitless potential as well.
In fact, he “is an elite talent,” Sampson contends. However, the 64-year-old believes that for him to “change the game,” he has to show more “grit.” To this point in his career, the main question about Bol’s future is his mentality.
“I played with Bol Bol’s father, Manute, and he didn’t have the same talent that his son has. He can change the game if he wants to, but he’s gotta want to get it done, and you gotta have that grit. He can’t just settle for the 3, and Wembanyama can’t just settle for the 3 when the game’s on the line. You gotta find your niche and you gotta make it to the basket, you gotta score.”
Like Wembanyama, Bol is a bit to willing to settle for 3s. There are many they both take within the flow of the offense. Yet, just as many of the 3-pointers they’ve attempted are shots you would expect someone to take on NBA2K. At their height and with their ball-handling, it makes sense for them to be a bit more assertive so far as getting to the rim.
That would also lend itself to Bol playing a more team-oriented style. A pull-up 3 is a one-and-done possession for the offense most times. By attacking off the dribble, Bol can use his skill and decision-making to create shots for his teammates or himself.
It’s all about balance.
