

43 percent of respondents picked the Bucks as the championship favorite.

The results don’t have a great track record for accuracy but there are always plenty of things to talk about. The NBA released its annual survey of all 30 GMs with over 50 different questions. The annual GM survey is always good for a laugh Aaron Kellerstrass at PelicanDebrief on encouraging preseason signs from Jaxson Hayes and Devonte’ Graham.Cal Durrett at HoopsHabit, looking through every NBA team’s young core to predict the next dynasty.Iliyan Lakhani at Clipperholics on why Jae Crowder makes plenty of sense for the Los Angeles Clippers.With no installment of The Whiteboard yesterday, we have 10 new names to share. The Step Back 25-under-25 is backįor the sixth year in a row, The Step Back is rolling out our selections for the 25 best players in the NBA, under the age of 25. Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided’s daily email newsletter on everything basketball. ET on ESPN and you’ll be seeing plenty of highlights of both guys all season long. Henderson and Wembanyama will play again Thursday at 3 p.m. If you missed the first matchup, fear not. Henderson is also much more advanced as a creator and ball-handler than somewhat similar recent players in this archetype like Jaden Ivey, Jalen Green, Anthony Edwards, etc. There’s no reason to doubt he’ll be a special three-level scorer at the next level. He is a very solid mid-range and pull-up shooter and an elite finisher with the touch to make anything he can’t dunk. Henderson’s 3-point percentages were abysmal last year but he has great form and improved shot selection will help a lot. As a 17- and 18-year-old, he averaged 14 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game for the Ignite last season, standing out as one of the youngest players on a loaded roster. He’s just 6-foot-3 but has a large wingspan and the explosive speed and power to bully defenders in a variety of ways.īut he leverages those tools with surprisingly advanced craft for a player who won’t turn 19 until February. What makes Scoot Henderson such a compelling NBA Draft prospect?Īs a big, strong guard with overwhelming physical tools, Scoot Henderson is a somewhat familiar archetype, having drawn comparisons to players like Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook in their prime. But dominating against talent like the Ignite team makes the case that he’s a lot less of a project than he might appear. Wembanyama doesn’t turn 19 until January and the level of athleticism and strength he’ll face in the NBA is a step up from what he’s facing now. You can see from his highlights from last night that he’s not Sam Perkins or Brook Lopez, just spotting up statically in the corner. His 3-point shooting is tantalizing and it’s not just that he has range, it’s that he appears comfortable navigating off-ball actions and relocations, as well as shooting off the dribble. But what sets him apart from the giants who came before him - the Shawn Bradleys and Yao Mings - is his incredible high mobility and skill level. Wembanyama’s most obvious NBA attribute is his height - it’s kind of hard to miss when you’re 7-foot-5 with a reported 8-foot wingspan. What more could you ask for? What makes Victor Wembanyama such a compelling NBA Draft prospect? Both players showed off what makes them such dramatically unique prospects in a hyper-competitive game. Henderson went for 28 points with 9 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Wembanyama finished with 37 points, 4 rebounds and 5 blocks, including hitting 7-of-11 from beyond the arc. The Ignite came away with a 122-115 win but both stars were absolutely explosive. What they actually got had to exceed even their wildest imaginings. They were every bit as good as advertised.ĮSPN was likely hoping for something dramatic when they arranged to televise an exhibition game between the G League Ignite and the French team Metropolitans 92 - featuring a matchup between Scoot Henderson and Victor Wembanyama, the likely first two picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. Victor Wembanyama and Scott Henderson faced off in a showcase of two top NBA Draft prospects.
