As Charles Barkley said, pressure is what you put in the tires… While all the spotlight in the United States was on him, and he had to take responsibility for his words of the last few days, Victor Wembanyama answered present, and he was dazzling! Under the eyes of DeMarcus Cousins, Chris Paul, Devin Booker or Sam Presti, his duel with Scoot Henderson kept all its promises, and at the finish, the G-League Ignite won 122-115 against the Levallois Mets – Boulogne.
Absolutely without complex, the French finished the game with 37 points, 4 rebounds and 5 blocks at 11 out of 20 on shots, 7 out of 11 from 3-point range. We could therefore fear that he was tense, and he played as he has done since the start of the season in Betclic Elite, with relaxation and talent. From far and near, he displayed all his technique, and what impresses is his mobility and his fluidity.
Victor Wembanyama has the technique of a winger as he proves from his first drive of the match, his 3-point shot is very natural, and he can trigger it in catch-and-shoot on placed play or in transition.
In defense, he played the scarecrows, and we will remember these two big “stops” at the end of the match on Scoot Henderson. The first near the circle where he tears everything off, the second halfway. Initially released for six faults 20 seconds from the end, the Frenchman finally played to the end thanks to the challenge won by Vincent Collet.
Read: Victor Wembanyama’s reaction after his performance
Opposite, Scoot Henderson is also a phenomenon. He is a powerful and technical back. Very few flaws in his game, even if his outside shot lacks speed, and he is a real creator. Its fundamentals are already there, as when it comes to multiplying feints and supports to score in the paint. He finished the game with 28 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 steals. All at 11 of 21 on shots, including 2/3 from 3-pointers.
We imagine that the NBA GMs who were not in the room watched the meeting, and there is almost no doubt that we saw numbers 1 and 2 of the next Draft last night. The NBA season hasn’t started yet, and some clubs will already have serious “tanking” desires…
