Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson are now being touted to collide for the right to claim the highest spot of the next annual rookie selection.
NBA executives told HoopsHype’s Mike Scotto that these two mentioned young talents are widely expected as favorites to become the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 Draft.
Wembanyama, 18, is a seven-foot-three intriguing unicorn prospect from France who is already gaining high considerations as a generational talent amongst basketball experts. Two general managers spoke with Scotto and expressed their awe about this young French tower.
“Wembanyama is a physical freak who plays like a guard that can hit step-back shots and handle the ball,” an NBA general manager said. “His durability is a concern. He’s not Kristaps Porzingis. I think he’s more talented. Defensively, he’s like Evan Mobley. Offensively, he’s like Porzingis.”
“I think Wembanyama is more of a sure thing than Chet Holmgren, and Chet went second overall,” another NBA general manager also noted. “I think he’s got a slightly better body, and he will be younger than Chet by the time of the draft. I think he has more offensive wiggle to his game.”
Meanwhile, the 18-year-old Henderson already took a huge leap in his appearance in the NBA G League as part of the Ignite team. With his size, athleticism and ability to explode, he stands now as a prized sensation being seen to be soon in the mix of the loaded NBA backcourt stars.
“Scoot checks a lot of boxes for an elite guard,” an NBA general manager told HoopsHype. “He and Wembanyama have a chance to be All-Star franchise cornerstone players for an NBA team. Scoot is a tank. He’s athletic, dunks on people, makes plays for others, and has length.”
“You could put Scoot on an NBA court tomorrow,” an NBA scout stated. “He looks like a grown man and is a modern-day scoring guard.”
The next year’s draft is also set to feature some other enticing young stars in Nick Smith, Dariq Whitehead, Cameron Whitmore, as well as the Thompson brothers of Ausar and Amen.
