Victor Wembanyama and Vincent Collet will return to their former club, Asvel, in the Betclic Elite playoffs. A great moment for the player, who will still be the focus of all eyes and is living his last moments in France before joining the NBA in a few weeks.
For the coach of the Mets 92 and the French team, it is also a unique moment because Collet has a simple mission, as delicate as it is exciting, which he summarizes in one sentence for our colleagues from The Team : “I try to help him grow. »
“It’s not common to take care of a gifted person”launches the trainer. “He is passionate, interested in everything. Much like Kobe Bryant, of whom he is a big fan, he always wants to understand why he does things. So a different approach is needed. In his qualities, there are obvious things, measurements, motor skills, etc. Then there is his project, his own will, his autonomy. You have to give him freedom while trying to influence his choices so that he progresses with accuracy. »
“I think Gregg Popovich can be the best possible mentor”
Obviously, Victor Wembanyama learns quickly, having already corrected the faults he had at the start of the season.
“He is not gifted only with the ball in hand. He has a lot of assets and intelligence is one of them, in his ability to assimilate quickly. He has just turned 19, an age where we make great leaps forward. What is most remarkable is the ability to be fairer, more complete. In January-February, he took seven, eight bad shots per game. He reduced that. And then in what he wasn’t doing well, he wasn’t sorting things out well. He was going towards what he likes, shooting too much, too fast at 3 points. Whereas when he’s patient and working to get closer, he’s pretty much indefensible, unstoppable. »
Vincent Collet adds that if the future first choice of the Draft “weighs offensively”It is “above all defensively that he can dominate”. He adds that although it is “It’s hard to imagine”Wembanyama will “to be much stronger”.
The rest will be on the side of San Antonio since the Spurs will be the first to speak on the evening of the Draft. Not the worst news for the tactician.
“It was the choice I was hoping for,” confesses the coach of the Blues. “San Antonio is a franchise that has built its legend with foreign players. We saw that in France with the prism of Tony Parker but there was also Manu Ginobili and others. I think Gregg Popovich can be the best mentor possible. Victor is only 19 years old, it’s an age where you progress a lot and you progress more or less depending on how you are supported and coached. For the France team, this is also good news. San Antonio respects international basketball and knows that the players do not waste their time in selection but that it makes them progress. »
To read >>> The full interview on L’Equipe
