Getty Victor Wembanyama is being compared to Kevin Durant.
The Brooklyn Nets are not going to be in the running for the number one draft pick next summer, so they are far away from the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
The 7-foot-4 phenom is taking the NBA world by storm, and just about every team around the league had members in attendance for the October 4 matchup between him and other projected top pick Scoot Henderson.
It’s looking like both of those players are locked into number one and two respectively, which would mean securing either of those spots would be franchise-changing.
Of the two, Wembanyama seems to be capturing more of the headlines, and he’s already drawing huge comparisons to current NBA stars, including Nets forward Kevin Durant.
Next Durant Incoming?
Every year it seems like there’s another can’t-miss prospect, but a lot of that could boil down to hype. However, Wembanyama seems different as he boasts a massive frame but the type of nimbleness you see guards possess.
He looks like he’ll enter the league and become unguardable overnight. Yahoo Sports’ Krysten Peek compares him to Kevin Durant and Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert.
“To watch the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama play in person is incredible,” she wrote. “His staggering height obviously stands out, but the way he moves with the ball and his impressive shooting mechanics (with an 8-foot wingspan) don’t seem real. He’s a cross between Kevin Durant and Rudy Gobert.”
Drawing that type of comparison is huge because it lumps him in with one of the league’s best scorers as well as one of the best defenders. It also gives him massive shoes to fill once he arrives in the league.
Wembanyama, who currently plays France’s Metropolitans 92, drew nothing but praise from Henderson’s head coach Jason Hart,
“Victor is one of those type of players when you say, ‘There will never be another Shaq, there will never be another that.’ He’s that,” said the Ignite’s coach. “You’ll never see another player like him.”
Nets Will be Dealing With Him
Since the Nets won’t be drafting him, that means they’ll be going against him, and if he lives up to the hype, he’ll be a face they seem for years to come.
Many people believe the Spurs have the best shot at getting him, so that would mean he’d be in the Western Conference and not a direct competitor if the lottery balls do fall that way. All of that is still a year away, so there’s not a lot to worry about at the moment.
Focusing on right now, the Nets appear to have a championship team built and ready to go. Kyrie Irving is back and eligible for the year, Kevin Durant is healthy, and Ben Simmons is fully recovered from his offseason back surgery.
The star trio recently played together for the first time in the loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in their preseason opener, but the three of them did look good. As their rapport continues to grow, the wins shouldn’t be far behind for them.