The top two prospects of the 2023 NBA Draft faced off on Tuesday night in Las Vegas, and basketball fans — and many NBA scouts/executives — were treated to a show. Victor Wembanyama and his French club Metropolitans 92 took on Scott Henderson and G League Ignite in a very entertaining basketball game shown on ESPN2.
Wembanyama, 18, is 7’4″ with an eight-foot wingspan, and he has guard skills to go with the ability to do damage with his length in the paint (shot-blocking especially). His upside is absolutely enormous, and many hoops evaluators think he’s the best NBA prospect since LeBron James.
Henderson, 18, is an explosive, flashy 6’3″ point guard who averaged 14.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 11 games with G League Ignite last season.
Presumed No. 1 2023 draft pick Victor Wembanyama on presumed No. 2 pick Scoot Henderson: "He’s really a great player. If I was never born, I think he would deserve the first spot.”
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) October 3, 2022
Well, it was Henderson’s Ignite that came away with a victory, 122-115. But the final score was secondary to the jaw-dropping things Wembanyama and Henderson did in the game.
Wembanyama scored a game-high 37 points (11-of-20 from the field) and drained seven three-pointers (7-of-11). He also blocked five shots.
Henderson had 28 points (11-of-21 from the field, 4-of-6 on threes), dished out nine assists, and pulled down five rebounds.
The top two prospects of the 2023 NBA Draft certainly looked the part tonight. 🏀🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/CpJ1w9wTsb
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 5, 2022
Here are highlights of their incredible performances:
This Scoot Henderson-Victor Wembanyama sequence. 🏀😯🔥 pic.twitter.com/VahW6UvbqU
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 5, 2022
Victor Wembanyama rejects a Scoot Henderson shot, then hits his seventh three. 37 points. 🏀🔥🦄 pic.twitter.com/KL7C548BJS
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 5, 2022
#2 NBA prospect Scoot Henderson putting the moves on Victor Wembanyama 😳🔥
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/aT8tSlMbnm
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 5, 2022
Victor Wembanyama showing off his range with back-to-back threes 💦
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/NpoDMMOOmp
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 5, 2022
So, the NBA Draft Lottery will certainly be a major event next year- and a franchise-changing event for the organizations lucky enough to land Wembanyama or Henderson. Tanking could be out of control this season.
The basketball world was blown away by Tuesday night’s Wembanyama-Henderson showdown:
Victor Wembanyama:
37 PTS | 7/11 3 PT | 5 BLK
Scoot Henderson:
28 PTS | 5 REB | 9 AST
The future is bright. pic.twitter.com/4XMQ1E5LMa
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 5, 2022
Victor Wembanyama tonight:
37 PTS
7 3P
5 BLKLet the tank wars begin. pic.twitter.com/GHy6t5dqIw
— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 5, 2022
Wembanyama finishes with 7 three-pointers and 5 blocks, something that's only happened once in NBA history
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) October 5, 2022
Every once in a while in sports you attend an event that you remember for the rest of your life. This Victor Wembanyama game is one of those memorable moments.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) October 5, 2022
Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson have more than surpassed the hype. I'm PUMPED and JACKED
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) October 5, 2022
Victor Wembanyama is an alien pic.twitter.com/nahSxZIE0L
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) October 5, 2022
Scoot essentially played a perfect game, and I'd hear an argument that he's a top-10 prospect of the last decade, but there is no universe and no year where Victor Wembanyama doesn't go No. 1 overall in the NBA draft
— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) October 5, 2022
I don't think I've ever felt compelled to curse in my scouting notes before watching Victor Wembanyama.
— Kevin Pelton (@kpelton) October 5, 2022
I've seen all I need to see.
1. Victor Wembanyama
2. Scoot Henderson
3-14: You should have tanked harder and/or hoped for better lottery luck.— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) October 5, 2022
Last year I convinced my wife to go see Wembanyama play on our wedding day in Paris.
I told her he was a generational talent we needed to see in real time.
Now she thinks I’m a genius.
— Rafael Barlowe (@Barlowe500) October 5, 2022
Wembanyama and Scoot have been so amazing that I too have decided to tank this season.
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) October 5, 2022
Wembanyama and Scoot about to have 30 teams trying to go 0-82 and NBA analysts still gonna be like "OKC's tanking is a black-eye to the league."
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) October 5, 2022
[Photo Credit: ESPN2]
