“He’s Not Jokic”: Kendrick Perkins Writes Off Victor Wembanyama’s Team France as USA Topples Serbian Giants

Kendrick Perkins says that Team USA will break France’s heart. Despite some initial struggles, Stephen Curry spectacularly managed to change the course of the game. After beating Serbia 95-91 in the semi-finals, the team is set to face Victor Wembanyama’s squad. Unlike Richard Jefferson, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins isn’t nervous about the Finals. After watching the latest game against Serbia, he is confident that Team USA will secure a win over the host nation.

Perkins made a bold claim, saying that France’s roster doesn’t have the talent to beat Team USA. He also noted how the USA has defeated one of the biggest threats, Nikola Jokić, and Serbia. While the analyst admitted that France has Victor Wembanyama, he believes the San Antonio Spurs star isn’t as big a threat as Jokic.

“I know France have Victor Wembanyama but he’s not Jokic and I think with the personnel that you have and Anthony, Davis, Bam Adebayo, and Joel Embiid, you’re going to be able to neutralize him,” Perkins said on ESPN. He added, “They just don’t have enough talent to match up and compete with Team USA.” This claim is somewhat arguable. 

Mentioning the top players on the French roster, like Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier, Perkins believes Team USA will probably be able to counter these threats. This also isn’t the first time Perkins has dismissed Wembanyama. He previously questioned the 7-foot-4 star’s longevity in the NBA.

Kendrick Perkins says Victor Wembanyama will win 3 championship titles 

After LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama was one of the most promising prospects. During his rookie year, he not only grabbed the Rookie of the Year (ROTY) honor but also won the praise of NBA veterans.

The Frenchman averaged 21.4 points and 3.9 assists and finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year race. Perkins believes that the Frenchman will secure three championship rings in his career, but it won’t be without struggles. In his opinion, he will be competing against some of the league’s best, such as Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, and Ja Morant. 

Comparing Wembanyama to other NBA legends like Yao Ming, the ESPN analyst noted that tall players haven’t typically had long careers. “If you look at the history of guys from Yao Ming to these long guys, they didn’t have a very long career. So I wonder how much we will see of Victor Wembanyama dominating on both ends of the floor. That’s going to be a question. But I can see – if healthy, he is going to win three championships,” Perkins said.

For now, the focus is on the gold medal at stake. Let’s not forget that France defeated Team Canada to reach the Finals. And who wins the gold medal remains to be seen.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.