Welcome to Wembanyama Wednesdays, our new recurring weekly post that will provide you with everything you need to know about Victor Wembanyama, the once-in-a-generation talent coming to an NBA team soon.
The NBA G League released the first episode of an 8-part docuseries “The Break, Presented by The General” and the first episode details the exhibition match between Scoot Henderson and Victor Wembanyama.
This series premiere includes never-before-seen footage of the preseason showdown. The on-court camera angles are gorgeous and provide a closer look at the historic scrimmage that began the rivalry between Henderson and Wembanyama.
The face that Wembanyama makes after blocking Henderson’s shot at the 6-minute, 28-second mark was particularly incredible. Overall, this was a very fun look at what proved to be a historic duel between two phenomenal NBA draft prospects.
You can watch the full episode, featuring Wembanyama, on YouTube:
Here’s more Wembenyama content to enjoy:
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS
The latest jaw-dropping highlight(s) from Wembanyama:
Ce fadeaway de Victor Wembanyama en slowmotion ✨ pic.twitter.com/UTWAsY5C3E
— First Team (@FirstTeam101) December 11, 2022
Victor Wembanyama takes the ball up the court, crosses up DMo and hits the pull up middy.
— Itamar (@Itamar_17_10) December 11, 2022
Victor Wembanyama is just unfair 😱
Block ➡ stepback-3 pic.twitter.com/f9h0s5ypQF
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) December 6, 2022
Victor Wembanyama dropped 27 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals in an overtime loss to Euroleague team Monaco today. Good competition for NBA scouts to evaluate the projected No. 1 pick against. pic.twitter.com/4eoaNjpfVG
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) December 11, 2022
GAME LOG / SCHEDULE
RECENT GAMES
Dec. 2 (vs. Fos Sur Mer)
32 pts (12-20 FG, 3-7 3P, 5-7 FT), 10 reb, 3 ast, 4 blk, 34 min
Dec. 6 (vs. Chorale Roanne)
15 pts (7-14 FG, 1-5 3P, 0-0 FT), 6 reb, 2 ast, 3 blk, 29 min
Dec. 11 (vs. AS Monaco)
27 pts (11-20 FG, 0-5 3P, 5-6 FT), 11 reb, 3 ast, 0 blk, 40 min
UPCOMING GAME(S)
You can stream these games, for free, on the NBA’s global app
Dec. 17, 2:00 PM ET (vs. Paris Basketball)
Dec. 23, 2:00 PM ET (vs. Cholet Basket)
Dec. 26, 2:00 PM ET (vs. Strasbourg IG)
BRICK FOR VIC
New Video: GM Bob Dylan on tanking for Victor Wembanyama 🎵 pic.twitter.com/eq36pfoGIH
— Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) December 6, 2022
“Results are based on 10,000 simulations of remainder of season, including the play-in round. Teams are sorted by their projected draft order, given their rank within their conference. The first table projects the draft order prior to the lottery process, and the second table applies lottery probabilities. During the season these likelihoods are based on the simulations we use to project the final standings.” (Basketball Reference)
San Antonio Spurs – 13.8 percent
Charlotte Hornets – 13.3 percent
Detroit Pistons – 12.9 percent
Orlando Magic – 11.9 percent
Houston Rockets – 10.2 percent
Washington Wizards – 6.4 percent
New Orleans Pelicans (via LAL) – 5.3 percent
Oklahoma City Thunder – 4.9 percent
Indiana Pacers – 3.5 percent
RECOMMENDED READING
The best stories that you can read about Wembanyama right now:
- American actor Michael Douglas is a big fan of Wembanyama (via LNB)
“He is impressive. He moves beautifully, and has a very nice family, and his brother is very talented, I wish him the best. I’m a big basketball fan and he would be my number one draft choice. I’m a Miami Heat fan, I don’t think they have a chance, I told Victor, ‘you should go to Florida.’”
- Former NBA star Tony Parker told Insider it’s important that the 18-year-old French big man manage expectations. (via Scott Davis, Insider)
“My advice to him is to make sure that he has his own expectations,” Parker said. “Because it’s impossible to please everybody. Everybody’s gonna think like, ‘Oh, you should play like this,’ or, ‘You should be Kevin Durant,’ or, ‘You should be this, you should be that.’ Just be you and have your own expectations.”
- There will be a race to the bottom for a chance at selecting the brilliant French teenager. Maybe it’s time to rethink a system that rewards failure. (via Oren Weisfeld, The Guardian)
“Considering that drafting a generational prospect is by far the easiest way to win a championship, it’s no wonder so many teams are trying to do it. But this strategy leads to some truly unwatchable basketball towards the end of the season, typically in March and April, when teams begin to shoot for the bottom of the standings by trading away good players, resting their remaining veterans, or exaggerating injuries to their best young stars. This year, with Wembanyama on the market and tantalizing prospects like Scoot Henderson and Amen Thompson right behind him, the tanking could be even worse than usual.”
- Victor Wembanyama continues to dominate French league Betclic Élite ahead of 2023 NBA draft (via Krysten Peek, Yahoo Sports)
“Right now, it’s Wembanyama and then everyone else at the top of the draft,” one NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. “The fact that he continues to play leading up to the draft just shows what sort of player he is. He’s not backing down from any competition and he continues to get better as the season goes on.”
- Here’s a complete look at SI’s first Big Board for the 2023 NBA draft, headlined by Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson. (via Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated)
