I am firmly on the record as saying I hope the Detroit Pistons do not tank this season, but if they do come up short in their quest for the play-in, let’s hope that they at least get a shot at Victor Wembanyama.
Words like “generational talent” get thrown around a lot in NBA Draft circles, as hype sells copy, as well as hope for the bad teams trying to rebuild.
But in the case of Victor Wembanyama, it might be warranted, as the 7-foot-4 Frenchman is unlike anything I’ve ever seen and I’ve been watching basketball for a long time. In simplest terms, the young man is like a video game in several ways, and it was all on display last night in an exhibition against the G-League Ignite, where Wembanyama racked up 37 points (with seven made 3-pointers) and added five blocks, showing why there will be so many teams tanking this season:
You've never seen anything like 7'2 Victor Wembanyama. The French 18 Year old scored 37 Points (7 3s), 5 Blocks in his first ever game on US Soil. Projected Number 1 pick in 2023 NBA Draft pic.twitter.com/U5TLOxA7Tx
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) October 5, 2022
I hope the Detroit Pistons are not one of them, but you can see the temptation, as it wasn’t just that Wembanyama dominated G-League competition, but it was how he did it, moving effortlessly between the post and perimeter on both ends and being disruptive as a shooter, post player, rim protector and perimeter defender.
Detroit Pistons: Victor Wembanyama is a video game
When you watch highlights of Wembanyama he looks like a character you might create in NBA2K, as his dimensions are not that of a normal human.
He is 7-foot-4 in shoes, but super skinny, which some see as his biggest weakness, especially after watching the similarly built Chet Holmgren go down early with injury. But when you watch Wembanyama play, you forget pretty quickly about his skinny legs, as he is out there doing things you just don’t see out of guys his size.
It’s especially jarring when you see him making plays with the ball and effortlessly knocking down 3-point shots, as I am not sure how you can defend a giant with the handles and skills of a guard. Like I said, he’s like a point guard you’d create in a video game for a laugh, a 7-foot-5 ball handler who can create and shoot.
Yes, it is quite possible that he’ll struggle to stay healthy in the NBA, as guys his size often have foot and joint problems, but that’s not going to stop teams from tanking or him from being the number one pick, as talent like this is too much to pass up even if it comes with some obvious risks.
This is especially true when you consider the hype, as we haven’t seen a young player get this much since Zion Williamson or maybe even going back to Kevin Durant and LeBron James, so he is going to fill arenas right away.
The Detroit Pistons will hopefully not be one of the NBA’s worst teams this season, but even a small chance at drafting Wembanyama is going to have fans praying to the lottery gods.