I recently saw that Wemby will be out for the rest of Summer League and combined with the whole bodyguard-Britney incident, I’m wondering if all this protection will have unintended consequences for him in the long term? But what do y’all think? Is it pretty normal for teams to be this cautious with their new star players? What’s the logic behind resting a rookie during Summer League?
Did you actually watch the video of the Britney incident? I’m not a superfan of hers like some but I do think everything she’s gone through with the courts and the “guardianship” has been extremely unfair and abusive. That being said, the initial report was that she was knocked down and her glasses flew off. In the actual video it’s more like her arm was mildly brushed away. I’ve seen 50 times worse at your average bar on a Saturday night. I guess my point is - I don’t see what that has to do with anything.
As far as pulling him from summer league, it seems to be a common thought that it was a big risk to even let him play to begin with, considering his packed schedule from French league to the NBA season. Nothing about this seems like a red flag to me - he’s a bit structurally fragile to begin with, and they need to protect “their asset”. (I hate this kind of language but it’s most accurate in this case.)
What are you thinking is the downside to all this?
@asparagus9001
Thx for commenting! Yes I’ve seen the video, and I agree that the “slap” was blown out of proportion. The reason I brought it up was primarily to draw attention to the fact that Wemby has bodyguards in the first place. That seems so odd to me, but maybe lots of rookies get bodyguards? I understand taking precautions to prevent injury in a player at high risk, but are bodyguards really needed for that?
And I agree with your assessment for him sitting out of Summer League. I was unaware of his French league schedule, but trying to prevent injuries for as long as possible with the guy who will potentially be the new face of the franchise makes sense.
In terms of downside, I tend to worry about how all these new players will adjust to such a different lifestyle from the ones they used to lead. While this might not be the case for Wemby since he was already playing professionally in the French league, but to go from high school hooper to college star to NBA fame, with all these expectations of carrying a franchise or being a breakout star—that can be a lot of pressure for any 19-20 year old.