The Detroit Pistons are once-again hoping to land a top-2 pick in the draft, and the prevailing wisdom is that Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson will be the first off the board in that order.
But does Scoot Henderson have a case over Victor Wembanyama to be taken with the first pick in the upcoming NBA Draft? While it’s fairly well established that Wembanyama has more hype entering the draft than anyone since LeBron James roughly twenty years ago, Henderson is hardly flying under the radar. NBA executives are salivating over the prospect of landing either one of these players and with good reason, but is it possible that Scoot is gaining momentum to be the first player taken overall?
Detroit Pistons: Injury concerns may have some teams wary when it comes to Wembanyama
By all accounts, the 19 year-old, 7-foot-4 Frenchman has been quite durable while playing professional ball overseas but as the player who is presently most often described as a unicorn, it takes only a brief comparison to those who came before him in order to give anyone holding the top pick reason to pause before trumpeting out any names. Kristaps Porzingis has become most synonymous with the term and to this day he mixes flashes of greatness with injury concerns. Other big men known for having well-rounded skillsets like Yao Ming, Arvydas Sabonis and even current MVP candidate Joel Embiid have struggled to stay on the court. Most recently, last year’s number two pick Chet Holmgren (the player whose physique most matches Wembanyama’s) went out for the season after being injured in an exhibition. There’s no guarantee that Henderson will be more durable than Wembanyama, but he does seem like a safer bet to be.
The NBA has been marginalizing big men since Shaq
What Embiid is doing is phenomenal, and the same can be said for Nikola Jokic, but the teams that are playing deepest into the summer months are those that have premium guards and wings to lead them. Look no further than last NBA Finals, which not only amounted to a podium on which Steph Curry staked his case as the G.O.A.T., but also showcased the irrepressible 1-2 punch that the Celtics have found in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
To Big or Not To Big
One of the most interesting case studies of “To Big or Not To Big” atop the NBA Draft comes from 2019 class. Zion Williamson was regarded as a no-brainer at #1 – at that time the latest in a long list of unicorns – and he is in the middle of a fantastic season. With 26 points a night, seven boards, and nearly five assists he’s regarded as a likely future MVP. But for all of the excitement he provides when he’s on the court, many NBA fans and GMs alike would give #2 overall pick Ja Morant the nod when it comes to most influential member of the draft class. Morant’s regular season numbers are just as good as Zion’s but they come with postseason success as well.
Zion has already missed 14 games and counting this season after missing all of last season with injuries.
Can’t go wrong
If the Detroit Pistons find themselves fortunate enough to draft either one of these players they will have truly won the lottery. Should they find themselves choosing between the two, that choice may be just a little bit harder to make than many realize.
In the end, Wembanyama is going to go first, as his size and skillset are just too much to pass up, but there is no guarantee that he will be the better player down the road.