Victor

Wembanyama

Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the past three months, you’ve heard of the lanky, 7’4 French phenom, arguably the most hyped rookie of all time. Wenbanyama has been called a “unicorn” and an “alien” for good reason. We’ve never seen a prospect with his elite combination of size, dribbling, rebounding, scoring, and blocking prowess, and that skillset lends itself to a very fantasy-friendly game. Fantasy managers are also buying into the hype, and we’d be surprised if the rookie makes it past the third round of redraft leagues. Wemby is sure to be a starter for the Spurs from Day 1, and, like in the 1997 Draft when the team selected Tim Duncan first overall, this may be a day the team looks back on as franchise-altering.

Metropolitans 92 is headed to the LNB Pro A Finals, where Wembanyama and company will look to win the franchise’s first-ever Pro A title. The presumed first overall pick in this month’s NBA Draft was quiet offensively in the first half, failing to make a field goal. But Wembanyama’s impact on the defensive end of the floor was consistent throughout, and he was able to get going on the other end of the floor in the third quarter. Mets 92 will face Monaco in the finals, with Game 1 scheduled for June 10. With the NBA Draft scheduled for June 22, Wembanyama won’t have much time between the end of the series and when he officially becomes a San Antonio Spur.

From David Robinson to Tim Duncan and now to Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs have a history of drafting legendary big men with the first pick. In what should be considered an absolute, Wemby will have a chance to play for Gregg Popovich and alongside guys like Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan. Wemby will be the undisputed face of the franchise when they select him on June 22nd. His landing spot wasn’t going to have a massive impact on his fantasy potential, but this is probably the ideal scenario.

He was expected to be the No. 1 pick in 2023 long before this game, but his performance practically guarantees that a few extra teams will be in the tank race to try and get Wemby on their squad. That goes for both NBA teams and teams in dynasty leagues. The landscape of the NBA will be different this season with teams trading veterans to help them lose to increase their lottery odds. The rich will get richer so that the tanking teams have the best shot at this generational prospect. However, we’ll still get to see him play more this season, which will allow us to evaluate him more, since he has zero interest in shutting down for the season. He’ll get a rematch with the Ignite on Thursday night, which he’ll be looking forward to since he was reportedly upset that they lost, even though everyone else in the world was salivating over his performance.

The only NBA player in history with seven triples and five blocks in a game is Danny Green, who needed three overtimes to do it a long time ago. On a side note, Chet Holmgren had four 3-pointers and six blocks in just 24 minutes of his Summer League debut. Scoot Henderson, the projected No. 2 pick behind Wembanyama, had 28 points, five rebounds and nine assists for the G-League’s Ignite. This game was insane to watch and it’s sure to be a hot topic of conversation at the water cooler on Wednesday, as well as the rest of the season. NBA teams are going to be tanking hard for a shot at one of these two players with the Thunder, Rockets, Jazz, Magic, Pacers and Spurs likely leading the way. And if you haven’t seen the highlights, stop what you’re doing and click the link.

The games will be on ESPN and will surely draw a lot of eyes, as Wembanyama is the projected No. 1 pick and Scoot Henderson on the Ignite is considered the favorite to be the No. 2 pick. According to ESPN’s Jonathon Givony, Wembanyama “has wowed NBA executives for the past three years with his exceptional combination of fluidity, perimeter skill, shot-blocking instincts and feel for the game, and has cemented himself as the likely No. 1 pick, barring a major surprise.” Did we mention that he also measured 7-foot-4 barefoot with an 8-foot wingspan? October can’t get here quick enough.

Giddey was ridiculous. Rookie Chet Holmgren (23 points) was ridiculous, and Aleksej Pokusevski, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and rookie Jaylin Williams were equally impressive. Williams hit 8-of-11 shots for 17 points and five rebounds, and the only question remaining is will the Thunder tank once again in hopes of landing Victor Wembanyama, the clear-cut No. 1 pick, in next year’s draft? Our gut says the Thunder will talk all these kids into tanking again and try to get Wembanyana, but if they don’t, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, Giddey and Poku could all be freaks next year. Let’s see where we are closer to draft time.

Teams such as the G League Ignite, the Australian NBL, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Basket all pursued the exciting young center and it’s easy to see why. Wembanyama stands at 7-3 with a 7-9 wingspan and looks to be the total package with his perimeter skills and rim protection with graceful athleticism. His deal will certainly include an opt-out clause and he’s the reason why teams like the Spurs are already tanking.

Wembanyama could be a generational talent. The French center caught the eye of NBA scouts before the pandemic as a 7'2" guy who can defend, handle the ball, and shoot from range. He won’t turn 17 until January, but Wembanyama is a name to remember whenever he’s NBA-draft eligible.