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The NBA Draft has arrived, and its top overall pick is almost a sure-fire lock to be French phenom Victor Wembanyama. The 19-year-old is one of the best prospects in the history of basketball and has received Lebron James-type hype entering draft night thanks to his height, wingspan and on-court abilities.
Victor Wembanyama Draft Profile
Contents
Victor Wembanyama position: Center/Power Forward
Victor Wembanyama height: 7’4
Victor Wembanyama wingspan: 8′
Victor Wembanyama age: 19
Victor Wembanyama team: Metropolitan 92 (French Pro A Championship League)
Victor Wembanyama 2022-23 stats (per game): 21.6 points; 10.4 rebounds; 2.4 assists; 3.0 blocks 46.8% field goal percentage
Wembanyama’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
While Giannis Antetokounmpo is considered the “Greek Freak” with his 6-foot-11 build and 7-foot-3 wingspan, his fellow European Wembanyama will surely be nicknamed something special with his even more freakish build.
The 19-year-old towers above his opponents at 7 feet-4 inches and has a lethal 8-foot wingspan. He’s been dubbed the “human highlight reel” by analysts for a reason.
With all of the intangibles and the ability to score from anywhere on the floor while still protecting the rim, it’s almost impossible not to pick him first overall, which is why he has been given 1/1000 odds by oddsmakers to be the top pick.
Averaging a 20-10 double-double per game as a professional is extremely impressive. We’ve seen how Luka Doncic’s game has translated over from the Spanish League to the NBA, and Wembanyama is much higher rated as a prospect.
Despite being a center, Wembanyama shot 27.5% from three-point range with five attempts a game in 2022-2023. When you can do this and average three blocks per game, the other team is in trouble.
The Le Chesnay, France native has seen tremendous success at such a young age, having won the French Pro A title with ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne last season and guiding Metropolitans 92 to a championship berth this year.
Wembanyama’s strengths on offense and defense can make him lethal on both ends of the floor and arguably the best at both positions if he can properly be developed.
Weaknesses
Two of the prospect’s biggest weaknesses are his thin frame and lack of strength. Big men in the NBA are usually much heavier and broader, but at 7-foot-4, it can be difficult to put on weight. An NBA team, more than likely the Spurs, will work with him and put him in the weight room.
Head coach Gregg Popovich will have to find a comfortable amount of minutes for the face of the franchise and ease him into the NBA pace. Wembanyama also will have to improve his ball-handling skills inside of traffic. He sometimes lacked self-creation during French League contests.
NBA Draft Projection
We predict at PunditFeed that the center/power forward will be selected first overall. His implied odds on many sportsbooks are above 99.5%. When provided the opportunity to obtain a generational talent that will massively improve your team for years to come, has MVP potential and will attract other top players to your organization, it’s an easy choice come draft night.
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