LAS VEGAS — Last year, basketball fans got an early treat as the Nos. 1 and 2 picks in the 2022 NBA draft squared off when Duke and Paolo Banchero (No. 1, Orlando Magic) beat Gonzaga and Chet Holmgren (No. 2, Oklahoma City Thunder) in November.
This week, the potential Nos. 1 and 2 picks in the 2023 draft will square off in front of numerous NBA scouts and executives in two G League preseason games. The possibly generational talent out of France, Victor Wembanyama, will face his toughest competition this year against G League Ignite point guard Scoot Henderson.
Here is all the information you need about the two top prospects and how to watch the highly anticipated matchup.
Game details
Teams: Metropolitans 92 (France) vs. G League Ignite
When: 10 p.m. ET Tuesday and 3 p.m. ET Thursday
Location: The Dollar Loan Center, Henderson, Nevada
How to watch: ESPN2 and the NBA app
French player Victor Wembanyama is the projected top pick in the 2023 NBA draft and will face off against projected top-two pick Scoot Henderson this week in the Las Vegas area. (Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Player breakdown
Victor Wembanyama
The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama is the most anticipated NBA prospect since LeBron James. The 18-year-old point-forward plays like no one else in the world with his staggering size and frame, along with his 7-9 wingspan (some say it’s 7-10). To see him take players off the dribble and step into 3-pointers from Stephen Curry range defies everything you would ever expect from a young player with his size. He’s most noticeable on the defensive end as a rim protector and effectively guarding wings off pick-and-roll switches.
Wembanyama has already played in three regular season games in France. He’s currently averaging 17.3 points, eight rebounds, 2.3 assists and two blocks per game, while shooting 45% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range.
Scoot Henderson
Last year, a 17-year-old Henderson took the G League by storm and was dominating players who were sometimes twice his age. He averaged 14 points, five rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Now, he has more confidence coming into this season and feels more comfortable with the spacing and pace of the NBA game.
Story continues
G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson is a projected top-two pick in the 2023 NBA draft and will face off against French phenom Victor Wembanyama this week in the Las Vegas area. (Darren Yamashita/USA TODAY Sports)
“I think what separates me from the rest of the players in my draft class is I just played an entire season in the G League,” Henderson told Yahoo Sports in July. “I’m basically a pro. I’ve been around pro settings and pro development and that’s really helped prepare me for next year.”
The 6-2 Henderson is a true floor general who is dangerous in the open court. He has incredible body control around the rim and changes speed with ease. Eight months away from the draft, Wembanyama is the favorite to go No. 1, but Henderson could put doubt in some teams’ minds this week if he has a strong showing in both games.
Teams that could tank this season for Wembanyama or Henderson
The Spurs had a successful 2022 draft with Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley, who are all just 19 years old. They’ll team with Josh Primo as the up-and-coming talent in the organization. Shortly after the draft, the Spurs traded Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks. In return, they received a 2023 first-round draft pick (via Charlotte from New York, protected), 2025 first-round pick, 2026 pick swap and 2027 first-round pick. All signs point to the Spurs tanking for a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick.
Utah Jazz
The Jazz are in complete rebuild mode after trading Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Royce O’Neale in the offseason and gathering a handful of future draft picks in the process. They also parted ways with head coach Quin Snyder and made some changes in the front office. The Jazz brought in Danny Ainge to oversee basketball operations last season. Ainge is credited with rebuilding the Boston Celtics by bringing in Brad Stevens and drafting Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder have been in rebuild mode for two years now and have had a lot of success in picking up young talent with their numerous draft picks. The Thunder have won only a combined 46 games in the last two seasons and many thought this was the season the organization would make a push for the playoffs. That all changed in July when Holmgren sustained a season-ending injury during a pro-am game in Seattle. With Holmgren out, the pressure is off for the Thunder to turn things around.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets have a lot of youth and will be only a little bit better this season after going 20-62 and finishing last in the Western Conference in 2021-22. It’ll be another frustrating season for Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr. and Alperen Sengun (along with No. 3 pick Jabari Smith Jr.), but a tough season will be worth it if the Rockets can land Wembanyama or Henderson. Houston has been trying to rebuild and make the playoffs since the 2019-20 season.
Orlando Magic
Even after landing the No. 1 pick and drafting Banchero, the Magic could still use a final piece with a franchise-changing player. There isn’t any pressure to win right away, and this season will be a good benchmark for where Banchero fits into the system and how the rotation in the backcourt develops with Markelle Fultz, who is out indefinitely with a fractured toe, alongside Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs.
