The 2023 NBA Draft is still eight months away, but the No. 1 overall pick has already been determined, regardless of which team wins the draft lottery. Eighteen-year-old Frenchman Victor Wembanyama has taken the basketball world by storm in recent months, solidifying his place as the best prospect in this year's class.
Even current NBA players have been amazed by what they've seen. Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, who as a fellow Frenchman knows Wembanyama better than most, was effusive in his praise earlier this week.
"I think he's something that we've never seen before," Gobert said. "I'm excited to keep watching him grow and what he's gonna turn to. He's unique, something the world has never seen. He's taller than me, longer than me, can space the floor, he can pass. But he also wants to play defense, wants to be a very good defender. And he just loves to win. That's what I really like about him. He's not just there to be cute, he's playing to win. He's a great kid."
Wembanyama has been well known in scouting circles for a few years, but he burst onto the national American stage earlier this year when his French team, Metropolitans 92, played a pair of showcase games against G League Ignite in Las Vegas. In one of the contests, Wembanyama dazzled with 36 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.
Now back in France for the LNB Pro A season, the hype continues to grow. Wembanyama has helped his team to a 4-1 start that has them in second place, and put up 17 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five blocks on Friday in a win over Blois.
Victor Wembanyama helped Metropolitans 92 to a fourth straight win in France, over second place Blois, posting 17 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 blocks in yet another dominant two-way performance showing why he'll be the No. 1 pick in the draft this June. pic.twitter.com/0Ru53E1bM3
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) October 21, 2022
"[The hype is] something you can't really control and it's because of what happened two weeks ago in the U.S.," Metropolitans 92 coach Vincent Colle said. "In general it's a good thing for basketball, for our club and for the game. It shines a light on basketball, it attracts people."
"There's what the Americans call 'skills' -- an ability that is out of the ordinary. But remember that he's only 18 and a half. In basketball at the highest level, there are many things to deal with. But he has an uncommon capacity for learning. You don't need to keep teaching him as he learns very quickly. That's a great asset, along with all the others he has. It's very valuable, believe me, as it's very rare."
Wembanyama's unique combination of size and skill truly is something we've never seen before, and the scary thing is he should only improve with age and more experience. Tracking his progress over the next few months, and the reactions from current stars, is going to be all sorts of fun.
