Victor Wembanyama: Future Face of the League

 Every year there are players who are expected to become the next Lebron or Michael Jordan...

Ayden Whyte

But few can make that claim like Victor Wembanyama. The 18-year-old from France is listed at a height of 7'2, with his real height likely being closer to 7'5. In most cases with guys so tall, they move sluggishly and injuries are a constant worry. With him it's different, he moves with a Giannis-like footspeed. He's weird, no one that tall ever looks that good on the court, never limping, no slouch in his back. He handles his height much better than other 7'0+ players in history. Fills me with the hope that he can have a long and successful career in the league.

Skill-wise, he almost has it all. He is the quintessential modern NBA player. He's already a great 3-level scorer. In his American debut against the G League Ignite team, he shot 7/11 from the 3-point line. He's 7'5 with a jump shot. It's literally unstoppable. He ended up with 37 points that game and scored on every part of the floor, whether it be pull-up midranges, catch-and-shoot threes, or spin-moves and post-ups to the basket. On the other end of the floor, he has limitless potential. Being such a tall and lanky center, you will obviously get a load of blocks just by nature, but his rebounding is also great, it's almost like he just picks the ball off the rim.

One weakness that's present in his game is his playmaking. I have yet to see him in a role where he is the one with the ball, calling a screen, and making a pass. So far, he's been playing the opposite role where he's taking a play all to himself, or receiving a pass. This is a part of his game that he's going to need to develop if he's going to be a ball-dominant player on the professional level.

Any team would be lucky to get him, but in this draft, he's top 2, and he's not number 2. The current lottery odds for the start of this season have the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma City Thunder all with 14% chances at the first pick. Of these 3 situations, he'd likely shine the most with the Spurs. He'd instantly become a leader on a young team looking to rebuild. With head coach Gregg Popovich approaching retirement, this would be prime time for a young big man to cash in on his wisdom. With the right keys, Victor could live up to, or even surpass Tim Duncan.

I hate placing such large expectations on players so young but it's impossible not to acknowledge his absolute talent. If you truly love basketball you love this prospect. I used to have the firm belief that basketball is taking a continuous dip in quality as LeBron gets older but with Victor, I know the league and the sport are in great hands.