Victor Wembanyama has already shown a glimpse of his true potential in the first couple of exhibition games for his Paris-based team, Metropolitan 92. In the first exhibition game in Las Vegas, the 7-foot-3 thrashed his arch-rival Scoot Henderson. Victor is without a doubt the number one pick in the upcoming NBA draft, in the eyes of his fans.
Henderson is the projected number two overall pick and the only athlete capable enough to dethrone Wembanyama. Although Henderson put on a decent show, Victor stole all the limelight of the night with his jaw-dropping performance. He scored seven 3-pointers on 10 attempts and finishing with 37 points and five blocks.
On the other hand, Scoot averaged 14.7 points per game in the NBA G League last season. His performance and high potential would’ve made him the No. 1 overall pick only if Victor was absent from NBA.
Victor himself agreed, when asked about Henderson, “If I was never born, I think he would deserve the first spot.”
“It was definitely a duel, and both teams were playing hard,” Henderson said. “He’s really good. He’s a good shooter, he’s lanky and it was a lot of film watching the last few days of learning his tendencies, especially on defense.”
Wembanyama has shown equal respect towards Scoot Henderson in response to what the latter said in the post match interview. Victor said, “He’s the most reliable guard in our class, and he’s really a great player,”
How good Victor has been?
Victor’s flabbergasting performances didn’t go unnoticed. He performed so well that even the King, LeBron James, showered him with compliments. The Lakers legend believes Victor is an alien compared to other growing youngsters. “Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, but he’s more like an alien,”
Wembanyama COME ON https://t.co/pU9Em4uMTC pic.twitter.com/TBtT5MRzbS
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) October 6, 2022
In the beginning everyone doubted Victor’s capabilities of becoming the next big thing in the NBA. His naysayers even commented that he would be the next Greg Oden, who was the first overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft but went on to fail miserably. However, Victor shunned his detractors with his out-of-the-world performance in his first five games of this season, sending a loud and clear message: “I am not here to sit back and watch, I am here to rule.”
The San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, and Charlotte Hornets are among the teams with the highest possibility of acquiring the finest prospect from Europe. All eyes will be on Victor as he moves forward until the next NBA draft in June. Absolutely no team would miss out on a fit Victor if the opportunity is handed to them. So, as it stands, Victor has indeed cemented his position to become the first overall pick.
