Opinion: Let's relax on comparing rookie Victor Wembanyama to Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo

Victor Wembanyama is learning something new about the NBA every day.

Like the arenas. Little chilly, huh?

“I don’t know how you guys felt, but it’s so cold out there,” Wembanyama said much to the amusement of the media after Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena.

The game temperature must be between 68 to 72 degrees and the humidity of the arena can’t be more than 55% at the court or event level.

Just FYI for the rookie phenomenon out of France.

The Wembanyama tour continues Tuesday when the San Antonio Spurs stop in Phoenix to face the Suns in the first of two consecutive games between the teams at Footprint Center.

This will be his first matchup against a guy people are already comparing him to – Kevin Durant.

“He’s a talented, talented gifted individual who is only going to get better and be more comfortable as an NBA player as each game goes past,” Durant said. “I just see his enthusiasm just through the TV. Sprinting up and down the court, trying to block every shot. Just being aggressive, excited for his teammates."

The two teams will play again in Phoenix on Thursday.

“I met him once, but I don’t know him well enough, but it seems like he’s locked to trying to be great,” Durant continued. “That’s evident in just watching him in preseason and first few games. Looking forward to playing against him.”

The top overall pick in the 2023 draft will face one of his favorite players twice in three days.

“I like the fact that for years and years, nobody found a way to guard him really, consistently,” Wembanyama said. “This is probably the reason why he was one of my top favorite players ever. It is going to be special, of course, but every night it’s going to be special in the NBA.”

Wembanyama has drawn comparison to Durant for being a 7-footer who can handle the ball, create his own looks from all over the floor and shoot from range.

Hall of Famer Paul Pierce took it a step further on ‘Ticket and The Truth’ Showtime podcast when saying Wembanyama is “looking like a cross between Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and KD.”

Too early for that. Way too early.

We’re talking about comparing a 19-year-old, be it a very talented and gifted one, in the newborn stages of his NBA career to two players with the following Hall of Fame resumes.

Regular season MVPs – Antetokounmpo (2), Durant (1).

Finals MVPs – Durant (2), Antetokounmpo (1).

All-NBA – Durant (10), Antetokounmpo (7).

All-Star – Durant (13), Antetokounmpo (7).

I see Pierce’s point, but there’s a respect level one must consider when making that comparison.

Wembanyama needs to prove himself in the NBA not just for a game, but for years, to be put in the same category as those two. Just because he pulled off the Michael Jordan arm extension “Space Jam” over helpless Thomas Bryant in the preseason against the Miami Heat doesn’t make him Antetokounmpo.

He needs to get stronger and put on some muscle. At 210 pounds, Wembanyama hasn’t reached his full-grown body that’s three to five years in the making.

Antetokounmpo is the perfect example of that. He was a skinny rookie who transformed into a physical specimen to fuel his competitive nature and relentless attack mode.

Now he just overwhelms dudes with a combination of speed, power – and an unwavering motor. All those things take a skilled player to all-time great status.

Wembanyama must find whatever that extra is for him to go along with an unworldly skill set for someone 7-feet tall to take his game to that elite level.

Just because Wembanyama can cross a defender and cash a 3 doesn’t make him Durant already.

When he’s consistently doing that, as well as taking two dribbles and pulling up or getting all the way to the rim to finish, over the next three to four years against physical defenses the way Durant has, then those comparisons are valid and will have been earned.

Durant was someone who came into the league criticized for being unable to bench press 185 pounds at the 2007 NBA Combine.

Still skinny to this day, but Durant added strength that enables him to play through contact.

Skill set plus strength still wouldn’t have been enough.

Durant also has that drive and basketball mind to go along with height, handles and shooting that has enabled him to score at will regardless of how he’s defended.

Wembanyama isn’t there – yet.

He’s a tremendous talent and has already made noticeable improvement from the Summer League to now but is a work in progress – and NBA teams and coaches aren’t just going to let him take over.

LeBron James is the closest one who, in his rookie year, had veterans take side steps to avoid a poster dunk, but he had to earn his place as one of the all-time greats.

So did Durant and Antetokounmpo – and so does Wembanyama.

The Spurs are rebuilding as evidenced in their ugly 40-point loss Sunday to the Clippers. How Wembanyama preserves through the disappointment of losing will serve as another test.

Can he still play hard and improve even through the ups and downs of a long NBA season?

He fortunately is playing for one of the NBA’s top organizations and arguably the league’s greatest coach ever in Greg Popovich. They’ll guide, teach and work Wembanyama through what will likely be a losing season and develop/find players who can make him and the team better in the future.

Hopefully, he can stay healthy, have his first real NBA offseason to gain strength and go from there.

Don’t get it twisted now. The fascination with Wembanyama is totally understandable.

There have been 7-footers, past and present, who can dribble and shoot.

Dirk Nowitzki is the first one who comes to mind Wembanyama probably saw growing up who is that tall, could dribble and shoot from range.

Wembanyama has Nowitzki’s skill set with better athleticism, shot-blocking ability and can cover far more ground on both ends with just one step.

It’s only natural to compare players. Makes for good and often intense debates. And honestly, it’s fair game.

James knew being an athletic freak while wearing No. 23 was going to lead to Michael Jordan comparisons.

That doesn’t mean it’s a good thing, though.

NBA players, past and present, have a far better understanding of the game than anyone else because they have competed at the highest level.

They have the greenest light to say how they see and view the game. They earned that.

However, their word has Thanos power with all the infinity stones.

So when Wembanyama scores just 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting Sunday, turns the ball over five times and struggles against physicality, the critics can say, see, that dude isn’t Durant or Antetokounmpo.

He didn’t ask for that comparison.

It’s a quick way to measure players before they become what they’re going to be.

Wembanyama is a great talent who appears on his way to becoming a great NBA player.

All the tools are there, but he’s not a cross between Durant and Antetokounmpo right now.

If he becomes that, he’ll win championships, MVPs and go down as one of the all-timers, but let’s relax on giving that high level of praise today.

Let’s see what happens tomorrow and the next day and the next year and year after that. Hope the young fella can evolve into the player he wants to be and not what we all think he already is.

Let him earn it like everyone else who has become a legend.

Let’s at least see what he does Tuesday night in Phoenix.

Have opinions about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Spurs' Victor Wembanyama compared to Kevin Durant. Let's relax