Projected No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama officially declares for NBA draft

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Projected No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-5 basketball phenom from France, announced Friday on ESPN’s “NBA Today” that he has declared for the 2023 NBA draft.

Wembanyama is regarded as perhaps the top prospect in the NBA since LeBron James with his unique blend of skill and size. He can handle the ball, shoot from distance and block shots with the best of them with his 8-foot wingspan.

Playing with Metropolitans 92 of the LNB Pro A, Wembanyama garnered worldwide attention with his play on the court. The NBA took notice and teams did their best to have the opportunity to draft him, setting up a historic draft lottery on May 16. Of the teams in the lottery, the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs have the highest odds of landing the top pick (14%).

The 18-year-old dazzled throughout the year in Paris and is putting up an incredible season. He is averaging 21.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.1 blocks and 2.3 assists on 46.8% shooting from the field, including 30.1% from 3-point range. He is the front-runner to be named Most Valuable Player after leading the league in nearly every statistical category.

He has earned high praise from a long-running list of greats, including LeBron James, Magic Johnson and others. His arrival will help transform his future team to new heights and instantly elevate them to relevancy on a worldwide scale.

Wembanyama and Metropolitans 92 have five games left in the regular season and will then look to make a deep run in the playoffs. His arrival in the U.S. could be delayed, as a result, though he likely won’t need to meet with too many teams as the presumed top pick.

He has long been projected to have the tools needed to develop into a superstar in the NBA and that journey officially started on Friday following his draft announcement.

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Story originally appeared on Rookie Wire

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/projected-no-1-pick-victor-203001336.html?src=rss

Author : Rookie Wire

Publish date : 2023-04-21 20:30:01

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