Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson NBA draft sweepstakes already hot topic
The NBA season hasn’t even started, and the Victor Wembanyama-Scoot Henderson 2023 draft sweepstakes is the hot topic.
The projected top two picks in the June draft played again on Thursday with Wembanyama of the Metropolitans 92 going for 36 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. But the Ignite’s Henderson left the game after just five minutes played with a minor knee problem in the second of their two-game exhibition series in Henderson, Nevada.
The Metropolitans won 112-106 two days after Wembanyama’s 37 points, seven 3-pointers and four blocks and Henderson’s 28 points, nine assists and five rebounds in Tuesday’s 122-115 Ignite victory.
With so much hype around the matchup – more than 100 scouts in attendance, game televised by ESPN2 – it’s impossible not to look ahead to the next draft and consider which teams will be in position to select Wembanyama and Henderson, both just 18 years old.
At his height (he’s listed between 7-2 and 7-5 depending on where you look) and with his wingspan (7-9), Wembanyama is a shotblocker who can protect the paint, defend shooters on the perimeter and collect defensive rebounds. Offensively, he is a mobile pick-and-roll player who slips to the basket for easy dunks.
Henderson, a 6-2 guard, is an explosive runner and leaper. He's effective in the open court with or without the ball – he can take it to the rim himself or catch alley-oop passes from teammates. He also uses defense (steals, rebounds) to create offense in transition.
The NBA implemented draft lottery reform in 2019 in attempt to reduce tanking or as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said at the time, "Lottery reform was important because there was a perception in many of our communities that the best path to rebuilding their teams was to race to the bottom.”
The three highest lottery seeds each have a 14% chance of getting the top pick compared to 25% for the team with the worst record, 19.9% for the team with the second-worst record and 15.6% for the team with the third-worst record in the lottery system used from 2005-2018. However, the three worst teams seeded 1-2-3 in the draft lottery also have a 27.4% chance to get a top-two pick.
“I know that many of our NBA teams are salivating at the notion that potentially through our lottery that they could get him, so they should all still compete very hard next season,” Silver said Thursday.
Here is a look at teams who could be in position to draft either Wembanyama or Henderson:
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder have stockpiled draft picks like a doomsday prepper stocks non-perishables. They have 19 first-round picks over the next several seasons, but just one in the 2023 draft. The Thunder are rebuilding, No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren likely will miss the season with an injury, and OKC general manager Sam Presti’s desire to have several chances of drafting stars is no secret. The Thunder are not a playoff team in a deep West and are expected to be in the mix for the No. 1 pick.
San Antonio Spurs
Coach Gregg Popovich is on record this season as saying, “Nobody here should go to Vegas on the thought of betting on us to win the championship.” San Antonio’s streak of 23 consecutive playoff appearances ended in 2020, and it’s now three consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance. The Spurs traded Dejounte Murray in the offseason after trading Derrick White mid-season in 2021-22 and may be headed for a painful rebuild.
Orlando Magic
Another team that is assembling talent and trying to get their rebuild headed in a winning direction, the Magic should be better than last season’s 22-60 record. But playing in a tough Eastern Conference, the Magic are not a playoff team even with addition of 2022 No. 1 draft pick Paolo Banchero.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets are getting better but not yet good enough for a playoff spot in the West as they give their young and promising talent plenty of minutes. Houston may be competitive throughout the season, but it will also lose enough games to possibly have a shot at one of the top two picks.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers won just 25 games last season, traded Malcolm Brogdon in the offseason and it won’t be a surprise if Myles Turner and Buddy Hield are moved before the trade deadline. Indiana needs all the young talent it can get.
Utah Jazz
Since the end of 2021-22, the Jazz have traded Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic. Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson may not be on the team by the end of this season. There’s no doubt which direction the Jazz are going and the faster they draft young talent, the faster they change directions.
Other teams
Teams like Charlotte, Detroit, Sacramento, Washington, New York and Portland may not be playoff bound but they have enough talent to win games and stay out of the mix for the top two picks. Obviously, circumstances, such as injuries, slow starts, etc., could change that.
Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson give these NBA teams draft dreams
