A draft pick hasn’t been this much of a sure thing since the King.
These days, the league tries to stop more tanks than the family of the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise, but since last season, the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes have been well and truly on.
It’s been all about Wemby, who turned his French Metropolitan 92 team into a YouTube sensation. The kid with the Harlem Globetrotter handle covers the whole court like a web with his spider-diagram frame. Holding a baseball he threw at a Yankees game like a grape, the first pitch and pick in the 2023 NBA Draft is the future of the association.
After previously selecting twin-towers David Robinson and Tim Duncan with the top picks, there was no way San Antonio were passing up on a big future with a ceiling even higher than the player himself.
Standing at 7-feet-and-5 inches, the only thing that outstretches his height is Wembanyama’s 8-foot wingspan, or his downtown range. After becoming victorious when it comes to Victor, San Antonio’s hoop saloon is about to turn into Wembley thanks to Wemby.
Teaming up with the early day Dennis Rodman dyed Spurs vibes of Jeremy Sochan-who welcomed Wembanyama in New York-aside from Kawhi, the Spurs haven’t spread the floor like this since ‘The Iceman’ George Gervin.
Even after Michael Jordan sold the Hornets, there’s buzz in Charlotte with the second-pick in the draft. Alabama star Brandon Miller instantly soothes the sting in Buzz City’s downtown tail, giving someone for LaMelo to pass the ball too.
When it comes to that pick that makes the earth sick, Dame Time just went digital with the igniting G-League sensation Scoot Henderson.
Portland are blazing now, just when people thought it was RIP for the city. 17.6 points and 6.6 assists over that last two G-League seasons? Get ready to make plays and plans for the playoffs in Portland.
The G-League takeover continues with Amen Thompson going fourth overall. From the Overtime Elite to the Houston Rockets, this star is set to soar into the stratosphere.
Rumour has it that the beard wants back in H-town. No matter how good James Harden still is, Thompson is the future. Amen to that.
The Elite go for more OT with Thompson’s teammate and twin Ausar. Chosen with the fifth pick by the Detroit Pistons. Amen and Ausar have now made NBA history as the first brothers to be selected with the first five picks in the draft.
Their story starts with a compelling chapter. Thompson teaming up with Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey could make even more hoop headlines as one of the youngest and best big threes in the league.
In at six, Anthony Black joins last year’s top pick and Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero in Orlando as the guard with the most Magic since Penny in pinstripes.
The Wizards traded up for Wemby’s Mets 92 teammate Bilal Coulibaly who is worthy of his seventh seal. Whilst Indiana took eighth wonder Jarace Walker in that deal, switching picks like screens on the post-up.
Rounding out the top ten of this class of 2023, we see swinging guard/forward Taylor Hendricks head to Utah as the ninth choice, and Kentucky’s Cason Wallace at ten for his new Oklahoma home.
The future of the league shines brighter than the Eiffel Tower every hour at night, even if the City of Light has just lost two of its tallest Parisian’s.
We need young studs to star for the association like this. Especially as we have said goodbye to greats like Carmelo Anthony and ‘6 God’, Lou Williams.
Take this draft in addition to the changing winds of players like Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Kristaps Porzingis, Jordan Poole and Marcus Smart and the NBA off-season is already creating quite the storm. Just wait until free agency hits.
