After his outstanding performance in front of nearly 200 NBA scouts and on an American national television channel, Victor Wembanyama has already convinced NBA leaders to recruit him next season.
The 2.19m Frenchman put in a remarkable performance with 11 of 21 shooting for 37 points, including seven three-pointers, five blocks and four rebounds in his first game on American soil. Yet the Metropolitans of Victor Wenbanyama lost to G League Ignite, while Chris Paul, DeMarcus Cousins et A’ja Wilson were in the stands at the Dollar Loan Center in Las Vegas.
“He’s a 2.19m shot-blocking Kevin Durant, and he’s not even at his best yet,” an NBA executive told ESPN. “He will be the most publicized player since LeBron James. »
Scoot Hendersonwho is expected to be the second pick in 2023 behind Victor Wembanyama, scored 28 points, delivered nine assists and grabbed five rebounds in the G League Ignite victory, while being compared to a young Derrick Rose.
37 points, 5 blocks and 7 made 3s for Victor Wembanyama in his first ever game on US soil. Showed exactly why he’s considered a generational talent and the projected No. 1 pick in a loaded draft class. pic.twitter.com/DolqdnkAty
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) October 5, 2022
Some of the teams with the lowest predicted win count for the upcoming season include the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz. , which means these teams would theoretically be in first position to select Victor Wembanyama for the first pick of the NBA Draft.
“Victor distorts the reality of basketball,” another NBA executive told ESPN on Wednesday (October 5). “The transfer market will really change after this demonstration. »
Scoot Hendersonwho is in year two of a two-year, million-dollar deal with Team Ignite, is a pretty nifty fallback to No. 2, but his agent thinks he should be in contention for No. 1. .
“I think everyone who watched this game last night saw a physical talent at point guard like we haven’t seen in years,” said Steve Hanet, Scoot Henderson’s agent. “Victor is intriguing and he’s a great player, but Scoot Henderson is the kind of generational talent you build a franchise around. He also added: “There were two incredibly talented players on this floor last night. But only one beast.
For the young French basketball player, Scoot Henderson “is really a great player. If I had never been born, I think he would deserve the top spot. »
Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson going at it early ???? pic.twitter.com/M9qSW1IMIb
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 5, 2022
Both players are only 18!
Tanking was a very popular technique a few years ago, but as of 2019, the commissioner of the NBA Adam Silver and the league tried to crack down.
The team with the worst record previously had a 25% chance of getting the first draft pick, and couldn’t drop below the fourth pick. Now the teams with the three worst results have a 14% chance of getting the first pick, while the worst team can go down to fifth place. Winning the lottery has always depended on luck, but today the chances of losing are less than before. The era of the miracle solution to the Draft is over.
However, Adrian Wojnarowski ESPN thinks teams that are close to qualifying for the Play-in Tournament might choose to give up players at the deadline in order to move down the rankings instead of up.
Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson will meet again on Thursday October 6 and the young Frenchman’s agent says his star player has no intention of foiling to maintain his draft stock.
“A lot of people in the NBA tell me about the shutdown, but we’re going to do the complete opposite,” Bouna Ndiaye told ESPN. “If we said that kind of talk to Victor, he would look at us strangely. He will never agree to that. He wants to compete and improve. With Victor, it’s basketball first and everything else takes a back seat. He was so pissed off that he lost. »
Article translated from Forbes US – Author: Adam Zagoria
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