- Radio DePaul Sports
NBA Draft Prospect Review: Victor Wembanyama
Ryan Hinske
The year 2023 marks the realization of an era of the NBA that we thought we entered
half a decade ago. With the 4th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks took a big risk
when they drafted Kristaps Porzingis rather than established bigs such as Mario Hezonja, Willie
Cauley-Stein, and Frank Kaminsky. Knicks fans booed the young Latvian from the moment he
was drafted, as he was unaccomplished and unknown. The Knicks drafted the 7’3 sharpshooter
because they saw the future of the NBA in him.
Fast forward to today, and a “potential unicorn” is on just about every NBA team. The
Ringer defines a “unicorn” as a freakishly tall player with a “unique blend of size, skill, and
athleticism.” In Porzingis’s case, it was spot-up shooting that made the big man a remarkable
prospect. In back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic’s case, it’s fluidity and grace with his playmaking. In
back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo’s case, it’s strength and downhill speed. The
Oklahoma City Thunder have two “unicorns” in Aleksej Pokusevski and Chet Holmgren. Well,
Victor Wembanyama is the unicorn of unicorns, standing at 7’4 with an 8 foot wingspan while
also bringing shooting, agility, and strength. The future is now.
Wembanyama is the clear-cut 1st overall pick, but this time, it’s not just because of what
he COULD be. Unlike Porzingis, Vic isn’t a “project,” he’s proven. Averaging 24.9 points per 36
minutes and shooting 47% on 18 attempts, Wembanyama is already a high-volume scorer who
is genuinely LEADING his team, Metropolitans 92, to the 2nd best record in the Betclic Élite
league while leading the league in total points and points per game. In a professional league full
of experienced players, Vic is also leading the league in blocks per game, free throw attempts,
and rebounds per game. What may be most notable is that Wemby is 3rd in the league in
minutes per game, which is remarkable for any center, especially one that is 7’4 and 19 years of
age. If this guy isn’t special, I don’t know who is.
Looking at Wembanyama’s scoring, the first thing that sticks out is the way he handles
the ball. He is compared to Ralph Sampson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but unlike those two, he
is not a back-to-the-basket big. Although he can work in the post and convert hooks and faders,
he tends to face up his defender like a guard and keep his shoulders square to the basket
whenever possible. This opens up his potential to rise up over defenders and shoot, and his
shot looks unguardable. His shooting percentages are low, but yours would be too if you were
19 years old with an 8 foot wingspan. What’s truly mind-boggling is that Wemby is not a spot-up
shooter like Porzingis; he can create his own shot off the dribble. I mean, what are you
supposed to do? If you guard the shot too close, he can also quite literally explode to the
basket, and his gravity leaves shooters wide open, where he has adequate enough vision to
kick the ball out.
Defensively, Wembanyama may simply be a taller Evan Mobley. His vertical quickness
is unbelievable for his size, making it nearly impossible to get a shot up over him. What he lacks
in quickness he makes up for with his instincts. Also, don’t be fooled: Victor’s slim frame does
not mean he can be pushed around easily by other bigs. Because of his elite footwork,
Wembanyama can hold his own in the paint against agile centers.
Ok, I can’t wait any longer to say this: Victor Wembanyama’s ceiling truly is one of the
greatest to ever do it. There are absolutely no indications that Vic will come up short in literally
any facet of the game except playmaking, but who needs playmaking when you’re a once-in-a-
millennium type player? If a team is constructed the right way around Victor (floor-spreading 3 and-D guys and a playmaking, shifty guard), this guy could genuinely average 30 and 12. This
leaves just two possible shortcomings: longevity and durability. Yes, these do go hand in hand,
but I separate them because - let’s say Vic is injured five full seasons but still plays until he’s 38
- he’ll still be a Hall of Famer. The only way this guy doesn’t go down as one of the greats is if
he spends his career plagued by injuries, but there’s no way to predict this, and worst case
scenario, he will still be an anomaly that not only can’t be explained, but also the guy that
represents the unicorn era in NBA basketball. When my final class ranking drops at the end of
the school year, you will already know who is at the top of the list.
To learn more about Victor Wembanyama, the rest of the 2023 draft class and the
future of the NBA, tune in to NBA Tomorrow on Radio DePaul Sports every Tuesday at
12:00 PM Central, and because Vic is such an anomaly, I just had to bring on a special
guest for February 27’s show: fellow Radio DePaul Sports staff member Dexter
Blanchard. You don’t want to miss this one.