Mike Ryan’s expert NBA Draft analysis? Victor Wembanyama’s not good

The NBA Draft goes down on Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz turned to the one man who could provide the expert analysis that we not only need, but truly deserve. Mike Ryan. And, wooo boy, did he deliver.

Blinking eyes dot gif.

Now, baseball? Clearly not Victor Wembanyama’s sport, as evidenced by Tuesday’s first pitch at Yankee Stadium. At least his sneaker game was on point. But no, Mike Ryan, perhaps still in his feelings after the Heat got gentleman swept in the NBA Finals vs. the Denver Nuggets, is not on the Wemby bandwagon.

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“He got swept in the finals, I think he’s going to get hurt, he’s a turnover machine and what do you think he shoots from three? Take a guess, he takes a lot,” Mike says. Someone throws out a number and Mike says, “Oh, you think 30 percent? I’d kill if he shot 30 percent.”

Dan admits that Wembanyama is clearly not good from beyond the arc yet, similar to how Giannis Antetokounmpo is not yet good from 3-point range. But, as Dan points out, they can grow into that.

Mike isn’t backing down, however, noting that if you project his turnovers, especially to a much more competitive league, Wemby has a shot to be the most turnover-prone player in the league. Tony, accurately, points out that Wembanyama is just 19 and that he’s going to grow into his body, grow into his mindset of how to play basketball. In spite of all that, Mike was undeterred.

“You do the forecasting, I’ll tell you right now — this player, not good.”

Tony fires back that Mike probably said the same thing about Giannis when the Bucks drafted him and without missing a beat Mike says yes, but Giannis wasn’t good at that point. “You tell me what it’s going to be, I’ll tell you what it is,” Mike confidently says.

Dan, accurately, points out that this could wind up on Mike’s tombstone. When Dan alludes to Wemby as the “most surefire prospect since LeBron,” Mike fires back with “most surefire torn Achilles I’ve ever seen in my life.” He’s not wishing that evil on Wemby but … perhaps he wants him to fail since he’s the only person on this plot of land. Mike also proudly points out that he was right about Chet Holmgren’s legs.

The insane ramblings of a depressed Heat fan still mourning his team’s demise? Maybe, but as Dan points out, in a world where Wemby’s writhing on the ground in pain and this great hope has been dismantled before our eyes Mike Ryan’s going to be doing a victory lap with a flag noting that he got it right and that he was the first person anywhere who said he was going to get a career-ending injury.

As they say, only time will tell.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, Steve Nash basically took the opposite view while guesting on the Montgomery & Co. Podcast, which is also part of the Le Batard and Friends network …

Check out the breakdown of Wednesday’s show below.

SHOW BREAKDOWN

Local Hour: The Submersible

• Our crew is captivated by the most popular story in the world: the lost submersible touring the Titanic wreckage. Jess explains her obsession with the story, the crew hypothesizes what is going on, and Dan tells us about a book he read on the benz. Then, Victor Wembanyama has startlingly huge hands, and Billy is feeling the effects of sitting in Mike’s EP chair. Plus, Dan and the Shipping Container break down the most recent report on the Blazers attempting to trade for Bam Adebayo, and Mike has a scorching hot take about Wembanyama.

The Big Suey: Chris Paul

• Do you get fixated watching hydraulic videos on TikTok? Can you sometimes judge a book by its cover? We cover these questions and more, including Mike’s “Top 5 Things That Made Me Feel Old in the Last Week,” on today’s Big Suey. Chris Paul joins us to promote his new book “Sixty-One: Life Lessons from Papa, On and Off the Court” and discuss the highlights of his life and career, how family keeps him sane, the breadth of his work away from the court, and more. Plus, David Samson and Adnan Virk join us to discuss their Top 5 Father-Child Movies in honor of Father’s Day, but unfortunately there’s quite a bit of divorce, murder, and genocide.

Hour 1: Submarining is Safe, As Long As You Know It’s Dangerous

• We have an expert’s comment on the lost submersible near the Titanic: Cardi B. Then, it’s time another expert. David Marquet, retired U.S. Navy Submarine captain and author of “Turn The Ship Around,” joins the show. Marquet explains the biggest factors to grapple with in this story and the decision making that needs to be made around the rescue, the specific danger the passengers face, and the differences between how this sub and a Navy sub operate. He also explains the safety behind submarining and questions whether or not this specific rescue mission is worth it.

Hour 2: An Awkward Split

• Ice Cube joins us to discuss The Big 3, where he expected more support of the league in the media, what he’s learned about running the league in the first few years, why the NBA doesn’t embrace them, and more. Then, we dive into a salacious story from the world of NCAA Bowling, the disaster for the U.S. Open, and children’s TV programming. Plus, Jess learned about The Sandlot through a new Off The Looking Glass, Billy pitches an Australian correspondent for the World Cup, and Bob Huggins…yikes.

Postgame Show: Amen and Ausar Thompson

• Identical Twin NBA Draft prospects Amen and Ausar Thompson join the show to discuss being projected lottery picks, competition with one another, preparing to be a pro, tricking people as twins, being “goody two-shoes,” fighting aliens, and more.

Watch more below!

VIDEO:

Check out the Le Batard and Friends YouTube page for more and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow the show on Twitter @LeBatardShow.

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