Wembanyama vs. Tatum: Who would you rather have for the 2024-25 season?

[HearshotKDS]

Neither moves the needle enough for the Bulls to make a difference but I chose Wemby - just so I could watch games and pretend the team had a bright future ahead of it instead of what CHI has now.

[wegotthabeet]

Cool pics. Very neutral.

feel free to cast a vote.

I did vote but it means very little imo.

This is a board that essentially voted 50/50 for the Finals.

This is a board that voted against the Wolves...until the conference finals.

So much wrong.

If I was a betting man, I'd take the opposite bet from RealGM GB polls and would probably break even, if not come ahead.

There are a few super smart bball people who still post on the GB, and that's why I still read it. But the vast majority are posters who think they know more than they actually do.

I don't consider myself super knowledgeable about bball either, for what it's worth.

But I've been around long enough to realize that the collective "wisdom" of the GB means close to nothing.

Pretending pictures influence results is pretty ignorant.

[ITYSL]

Pretending pictures influence results is pretty ignorant.

Who is pretending that?

[Sweet Serenity]

I don't get the cognitive dissonance here. On this thread, ppl think Wemby will be more impactful than an all-NBA 1st teamer, but on the other thread they don't think the Spurs make the playoffs. Pick a lane and stick to it. If Wemby is a top 5 player then the Spurs will make the playoffs for sure.

If Jokic could take Gordon & a bunch of scrubs to the 6 seed a couple of years ago then there is no reason why Wemby couldn’t take CP, Barnes & a bunch of scrubs to the playoffs as well if he’s already top 5 like some say ..

[warriorschamps]

I don't get the cognitive dissonance here. On this thread, ppl think Wemby will be more impactful than an all-NBA 1st teamer, but on the other thread they don't think the Spurs make the playoffs. Pick a lane and stick to it. If Wemby is a top 5 player then the Spurs will make the playoffs for sure.

If Jokic could take Gordon & a bunch of scrubs to the 6 seed a couple of years ago then there is no reason why Wemby couldn’t take CP, Barnes & a bunch of scrubs to the playoffs as well if he’s already top 5 like some say ..

Agreed. Yes CP3 isn't what he used to be but he is still a darn good player. Barnes is good enough with CP3 and the other guys they have to make the playoffs IF Wemby is anywhere near as good as some are saying. And he might be next year. We'll have to wait and see. He certainly wasn't anywhere near that good in his rookie year.

But if the Spurs come back with a 30 win season next year the Wemby is top 5 and top 10 is going to be very laughable to say the least. Steph at 36 y/o with the same old CP3, a struggling Klay and Draymond lead his team to 46 wins. If Wemby is really a top 5 to top 10 guy he will do the same next year.

[One_and_Done]

I don't get the cognitive dissonance here. On this thread, ppl think Wemby will be more impactful than an all-NBA 1st teamer, but on the other thread they don't think the Spurs make the playoffs. Pick a lane and stick to it. If Wemby is a top 5 player then the Spurs will make the playoffs for sure.

Why do people think in terms of black and white. This is what's wrong with the world.

Wemby can miss out on the playoffs but also challenge to be a top 5 player in the league.

Both things can be true, bases on circumstances and perspective. That's Lebron wasn't better than Curry when he was missing the playoffs with the Lakers.

As the previous posts above noted, if Wemby is a top 5 guy then he should only be missing the playoffs if his team is rubbish. I look at the Spurs starting line-up of CP3, Vassell, Barnes & Sochan, and I see 4 guys who probably are either league average or better. I lean towards 'better' for all 4. Their bench has some decent bench players too. That being the case, I think they might actually be a playoff team.

[TrueFan420]

there would hardly be a sophomore player in NBA history I’d take over a star in his prime who just won a chip.

Maybe Wemby ends up as a freak MVP talent next season but if you want to win a title you are seriously underestimating the development in young stars it takes.

Most of the greats had to struggle at some point in time before winning one.

You’re not wrong but Wemby likely falls into that category. Similar to Bron. Just special.

One other thing to account for is team fit too. If your OKC you’d likely take Tatum with Chet there. Rockets, Tatum with Sengun and Smith Jr. As a Warriors fan, I’d want Wemby. His size would be incredible and Wiggins and Kuminga wouldn’t fit well with Tatum. Tatum is better than them but wasting 2 players on a roster that contributed to a championship isn’t as ideal as taking advantage of what Wemby would add to our roster.

[wegotthabeet]

I don't get the cognitive dissonance here. On this thread, ppl think Wemby will be more impactful than an all-NBA 1st teamer, but on the other thread they don't think the Spurs make the playoffs. Pick a lane and stick to it. If Wemby is a top 5 player then the Spurs will make the playoffs for sure.

If Jokic could take Gordon & a bunch of scrubs to the 6 seed a couple of years ago then there is no reason why Wemby couldn’t take CP, Barnes & a bunch of scrubs to the playoffs as well if he’s already top 5 like some say ..

Lebron couldn’t so he wasn’t a top 5 player in 2019?

logic evades your thought process.

[brackdan70]

So are there different people voting in this poll than the top players poll? Doesn’t make sense.

[One_and_Done]

I don't get the cognitive dissonance here. On this thread, ppl think Wemby will be more impactful than an all-NBA 1st teamer, but on the other thread they don't think the Spurs make the playoffs. Pick a lane and stick to it. If Wemby is a top 5 player then the Spurs will make the playoffs for sure.

If Jokic could take Gordon & a bunch of scrubs to the 6 seed a couple of years ago then there is no reason why Wemby couldn’t take CP, Barnes & a bunch of scrubs to the playoffs as well if he’s already top 5 like some say ..

Lebron couldn’t so he wasn’t a top 5 player in 2019?

logic evades your thought process.

Lebron was injured in 2019 and his team wasn't even average.

[wegotthabeet]

If Jokic could take Gordon & a bunch of scrubs to the 6 seed a couple of years ago then there is no reason why Wemby couldn’t take CP, Barnes & a bunch of scrubs to the playoffs as well if he’s already top 5 like some say ..

Lebron couldn’t so he wasn’t a top 5 player in 2019?

logic evades your thought process.

Lebron was injured in 2019 and his team wasn't even average.

Luka missed the playoffs just last year.

Also not a top 5 player?

[One_and_Done]

Lebron couldn’t so he wasn’t a top 5 player in 2019?

logic evades your thought process.

Lebron was injured in 2019 and his team wasn't even average.

Luka missed the playoffs just last year.

Also not a top 5 player?

Luka missed 16 games and was hurt, the supporting cast was relatively poor, and the Mavs tanked out of the play-in down the stretch, something that was much criticised.

If Wemby plays only 66 games next year, and is not 100% in other games, I doubt the Spurs make it either.

[GrandTheftRondo]

there would hardly be a sophomore player in NBA history I’d take over a star in his prime who just won a chip.

Maybe Wemby ends up as a freak MVP talent next season but if you want to win a title you are seriously underestimating the development in young stars it takes.

Most of the greats had to struggle at some point in time before winning one.

You’re not wrong but Wemby likely falls into that category. Similar to Bron. Just special.

One other thing to account for is team fit too. If your OKC you’d likely take Tatum with Chet there. Rockets, Tatum with Sengun and Smith Jr. As a Warriors fan, I’d want Wemby. His size would be incredible and Wiggins and Kuminga wouldn’t fit well with Tatum. Tatum is better than them but wasting 2 players on a roster that contributed to a championship isn’t as ideal as taking advantage of what Wemby would add to our roster.

Young LeBron was still a very raw player and wasn’t ready to win a title for a number of years

[scrabbarista]

Cool pics. Very neutral.

feel free to cast a vote.

I did vote but it means very little imo.

This is a board that essentially voted 50/50 for the Finals.

This is a board that voted against the Wolves...until the conference finals.

So much wrong.

If I was a betting man, I'd take the opposite bet from RealGM GB polls and would probably break even, if not come ahead.

There are a few super smart bball people who still post on the GB, and that's why I still read it. But the vast majority are posters who think they know more than they actually do.

I don't consider myself super knowledgeable about bball either, for what it's worth.

But I've been around long enough to realize that the collective "wisdom" of the GB means close to nothing.

I'm super smart and think I know more than I actually do

[_NoMas]

Boston Cleveland T Wolves (and maybe Milwaukee) take Tatum, everyone else takes Wemby

[Fencer reregistered]

Depends on the team.

If they have an offense better than your-turn/my-turn and a good defense, they should take the better player, namely Tatum.

If they aren't a real contender anyway, they might as well go with Wemby.

In perhaps the clearest examples: The Suns should take Wemby, but the Wolves should take Tatum.

[Vampirate]

Just from the sheer entertainment standpoint I went with Wemby.

[Best Bird Ever]

27% who voted for Tatum are weird as hell

[UglyBugBall]

I don't get the cognitive dissonance here. On this thread, ppl think Wemby will be more impactful than an all-NBA 1st teamer, but on the other thread they don't think the Spurs make the playoffs. Pick a lane and stick to it. If Wemby is a top 5 player then the Spurs will make the playoffs for sure.

If Jokic could take Gordon & a bunch of scrubs to the 6 seed a couple of years ago then there is no reason why Wemby couldn’t take CP, Barnes & a bunch of scrubs to the playoffs as well if he’s already top 5 like some say ..

That Jokic team and rganization staff was deep with talent. This Spurs team has nothing.

[One_and_Done]

I don't get the cognitive dissonance here. On this thread, ppl think Wemby will be more impactful than an all-NBA 1st teamer, but on the other thread they don't think the Spurs make the playoffs. Pick a lane and stick to it. If Wemby is a top 5 player then the Spurs will make the playoffs for sure.

If Jokic could take Gordon & a bunch of scrubs to the 6 seed a couple of years ago then there is no reason why Wemby couldn’t take CP, Barnes & a bunch of scrubs to the playoffs as well if he’s already top 5 like some say ..

That Jokic team and rganization staff was deep with talent. This Spurs team has nothing.

Jokic took Denver to the playoffs a few years ago with a shoestring rotation.

I also don't agree the Spurs have 'nothing'. Their starting line-up next to Wemby is CP3, Vassell, Barnes and Sochan. I think there's a strong argument that those are all either average or above average players for their position. All 5 starters can defend, some qt an elite level, and it's an above average 3pt shooting team. They have some solid bench guys too.