"I've been to San Antonio before and I love Texas." There is no doubt for him either, Victor Wembanyama already sees himself in Texas, at the Spurs, the former franchise of Tony Parker or Boris Diaw. Yet nothing is done yet. If San Antonio has recovered the first pick in the lottery, the NBA draft will not officially take place until June 22. In one month, could the "first pick" escape the French prodigy? 99% no, but here are the other talents who apply against him.
Scoot Henderson, the number 1 opponent?
"I think I should be taken first. In fact, I think I'm going to be selected first. On the other side of the Atlantic, the assurance of Scoot Henderson (here at GQ Sports last April), in addition to his sporting qualities, had made him the most serious candidate against Victor Wembanyama.
The French giant itself had recognized this. "He's a really great player. If I had never been born, I think he would deserve first place," he said before facing him in Las Vegas. With 37 points, the Mets player had made a very strong impression against his American competitor, who had still resisted with his 28 points and 9 assists.
SCOOT HENDERSON WITH THE FILTHIEST POSTER OF HIS YOUNG CAREER! đ€Żđ” đ«
@gleagueignite
He's only 18 years old. pic.twitter.com/YtbTB1fUhq
â NBA G League (@nbagleague) January 4, 2023
The point guard, whose dimensions are incomparable with Wemby - 1.88 m "only" - would in fact have been a perfect number 1 draft without the Frenchman. The youngest player in history at 17 in the G League, the NBA's development league, the 19-year-old guard had a convincing final season averaging 16.6 points, 6.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds.
Compared to Ja Morant or Russell Westbrook, the player from Georgia preferred to settle in the footsteps of Stephen Curry. "I've been watching Scoot and his family for a while now and I'm beyond impressed with what he's accomplished so far," said the four-time NBA champion, who helps the young man and his family on a sporting and non-sporting level. After stopping his season last March, ESPN now places him in the 3rd place of the draft. So let's go to Portland.
Brandon Miller, the tempestuous
In 2nd position, the very well informed American media sees Brandon Miller join the Charlotte Hornets. "He's the archetype of player that every NBA team is looking for," said Jonathan Givony. And for good reason the winger of the University of Alabama has, from the top of his 2.06 m, all the qualities of the modern player.
Brandon Miller is the prototypical NBA wing. The 6'9" forward plays a style of basketball that looks like one that can be a seamless fit into offenses. As a freshman at Alabama, Brandon showed the potential to be an NBA player that could score at not only a high volume but high... pic.twitter.com/mn2AxAZZ0g
â shabba đ (@Shabba1k) May 10, 2023
In his first season in the NCAA, the 20-year-old averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds, and was easily voted rookie of the year in his conference. Only problem in his career, his extra-sporting behavior. Brandon Miller is embroiled in a murder story of a young woman, after giving the murder weapon to one of his teammates last January. Not worried, he had mimed a body search when entering the floor during the match that followed the case...
The Thompson twins
Amen or Ausar Thompson, who will be the highest ranked in this 2023 draft? The twin brothers, figureheads of the Overtime Elite, an independent professional basketball league for 16- to 20-year-olds, are "the two most physically gifted players" in the draft according to ESPN. For the American television channel, it is the first of the two that should be placed in 4th position.
Amen Thompson is the definition on an IMPACT PLAYER đ„ pic.twitter.com/SeWhembctL
â Overtime Elite (@OvertimeElite) May 17, 2023
Expected very high in the draft for more than two years, the 20-year-old point guard (or back) is a real dunk machine. At 2.01m, he is surely the best player in the Overtime Elite with 16.4 points on average, 5.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists. But it is still very, very far from Wemby. The density and quality of this league, compared to the Betclic Elite that the Frenchman dominates, are still to be proven. And even with 20 cm less, he is considered a worse shooter than Victor Wembanyama...
