Victor Wembanyama: A ballad of a Frenchman and a bouncing ball

FUN FACT: Steph Curry was 6”2 during his MVP-winning season in the NBA, an 11-year-old Victor Wembanyama studying in the suburbs of Paris was the same height.

Now 7ft4, a 19-year-old Wembanyama has grown into a fine young man and a generational talent on track to dismantle the NBA.

Currently playing his pre-draft year at French Basketball league leaders, Metropolitan 92’s, “Wemby” the mantra given to him by the US media, is the best player in the country at 19. By watching a 50-second highlight, you can understand how unprecedented his particular skill set is.

Seven footers are typically blessed and cursed by their height, such length dramatically increases their proneness to injuries and normally exempts them from having fluid mechanics and moveability. But Victor dribbles like a guard, with tight handles that orthodoxly keeps the ball close to the ground and protects it from incoming opponents attempting a steal.

His hand-eye coordination is elite, and the combination of dribble moves he pulls off bears resemblance to some of the best guards in the NBA. Defensively, his motor has made him one of the best shot blockers in Europe, AT 19. He tracks well and can stay in front of some of the fastest guards to then weaponize his 8ft frame to send the opposition's layup to the pits of Tartarus or Mars, to be honest, I’m not sure where it goes it just goes a long way away.

Now whilst he does have long arms and is pretty quick on his feet for a 7-footer, it takes a lot more than that to average the 3.1 blocks he currently dishes out a game. His basketball IQ is unparalleled for his age, the reads he makes to anticipate rotations and pump fakes by guards makes him a defensive hub on his own.

It further raises his profile as players currently this height in the NBA such as two-time MVP Nikola Jokic or DPOY winner Rudy Gobert have deficiencies that limit their effectiveness in the playoffs, but Wemby seems to be a two-way threat, an immovable juggernaut in the paint and an ankle-breaking bucket getter.

His scoring ability ranges from impressive to absolutely jaw-dropping. Wembanyama arrived on the scene in the US in an exhibition game against projected 2nd overall pick Scoot Henderson’s G League Unite team.  He ended up the game with 37 points, 4 rebounds and 5 blocks, but seemingly what was more impressive was how it; banking a Curry-esque seven 3-pointers.

This could’ve been seen as an anomaly which has statistically been backed up by his 29% clip in the French League, however, after studying his shot, there’s a smoothness to his mechanics with his back straight up and his release point above the guarding defender. Whilst we don’t expect him to be a 40% career shooter – to be able to end that faucet to his game and onto the scout report will make him more of a dangerous prospect.

The world awaits Victor Wembanyama’s arrival, and as we count down the days till those ping pong balls collide – team executives will be in prayer for that lucky bounce and a chance at what we expect to be the greatest basketball player on Earth.

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