NBA Draft Prospect Profiles: Victor Wembanyama, Metropolitans 92 (France)

You’d be hard-pressed to find a prospect with more hype than French superstar Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall prospect heading into the 2023 NBA Draft.

With the draft just weeks away, we dissect his game and get you up to speed on his scouting report.

Career with Metropolitans 92 (France)

In his lone season with Metropolitans 92 in 2022-23, Wembanyama dominated the league. After averaging just 9.4 points per game in 2021-22 with ASVEL, his scoring skyrocketed to 21.6 points and 10.4 rebounds on 47 percent shooting from the field this season. He helped lead the team to its first league championship final since 2013, where they will take on Monaco starting this weekend. Wembanyama could etch his name as a legend in France before he makes his way to the United States.

Strengths

Trying to describe Wembanyama’s skillset to someone who has never seen him play makes you sound like a complete nutcase. The 19-year-old stands at 7’3" without shoes, can take defenders off the dribble from the perimeter, knock down threes, and easily create his own shot. On top of his enormous wingspan, Wembanyama’s high release on his jumper helps him get plenty of uncontested looks. He’s incredibly smooth with elite footwork for his size and can get to his spot better than any seven-footer the NBA Draft has ever seen.

Weaknesses

The first immediate weakness you notice from Wembanyama is his lack of girth on his lanky frame. Even at 7’3", he weighs just 209 lbs. The same concerns came with Chet Holmgren in the 2022 NBA Draft. Teams should wonder if he can handle going up against an NBA frontcourt while avoiding injury. Kevin Durant bulked up his frame between his time at Texas and his prime years in the NBA, which is what Wembanyama will have to do if he wants to see a similar level of success.

Overall NBA Projection

It feels like the floor of Wembanyama’s expectations is at least becoming an All-Star, while many even expect him to be contending for MVPs within a handful of seasons. Based on his on-court production, the only thing that could derail his career would be some career-altering injuries. In a league that is beginning to benefit smaller and skinnier frames with more favorable whistles, we believe Wembanyama will be fine staying healthy as long as he puts on a bit of weight in his first season or two. We’ve seen European professionals like Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic come over and dominate the league, and Wemby should follow in their footsteps.

Projected Pick: 1st Overall

Player Comparison: Kevin Durant