Victor Wimpanyama made his US debut on Tuesday, and now he has sportsbooks gearing up for his potential NBA landing spot. [Image: Thomas S via Flickr]
Flawless Appearance
The future is here – and his name is Victor Wimpanyama.
One of the biggest draws in sports history
The 18-year-old French basketball sensation has slowly grown from “one for the future” to a mainstream dream. The young phenom lost 37 points, five blocks and seven threes to the G League Ignite on his debut on American soil Tuesday night, cementing it as one of the biggest draws in the sport’s history, only with his opening showing.
If the NBA thought they had issues with tanks to get better draft picks than before, that’s a hard reality. Sports brochures have already released odds for the league’s worst record, but any team in the league wouldn’t mind stopping for a season to arrange their next decade-plus.
Victor Wimpanyama: Like never before
Standing at 7 feet 5 feet tall, Wimpanyama is unlike any other athlete who has set up a stadium in decades. He’s fast, agile, coordinated, has a handle, and can pull off a dribble, all while defending the interior at a high level.
Videos featuring the young Frenchman have garnered endless retweets and favorites on the internet, but many have questioned how he would perform against a more competitive pool of American talent. Well, the skeptics got their answer on Tuesday.
A French professional team, the Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92, played at Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada, and went up Wimpanyama against G League Ignite and prospective 2023 #2 Scoot Henderson. After trailing 19 points in the first half, the foreign contender ramped up the defense and led a three-point barrage against a team of up-and-coming NBA rookies, even stuffing classmate Henderson at the edge in a potential fourth-quarter jam.
Only once has a player scored seven times and stopped five shots in a match
In the NBA’s 75-year history, only once has a player scored seven times and stopped five shots per game, and he needed three extra periods to do so. That player was Danny Green in the 2014 fight with the Memphis Grizzlies, and he finished with 25 points to 37 Wimpanyama.
The closest comparison to Wembanyama in the league today is Kevin Durant, which is praise in and of itself. Durant is seen as an anomaly due to his alien-like shooting consistency and superior coordination for his size, yet Wimpanyama is even taller and utterly talented.
It was just one match, but it was absolutely a game. If there is any doubt, Wimpanyama will come to the NBA throne in no hurry.
NBA Draft odds and predictions
On a sadder note, the NBA will now have to prepare for the possible issue of tanks in next summer’s draft, when Wimpanayama is expected to be picked with the first overall pick.
The League attempted to combat tanks by introducing a draft-selection lottery in 1985, with teams with poor performances having better chances of making a better selection. To further discourage tanks, Commissioner Adam Silver implemented a rule in 2019 giving the three worst teams the same chance of securing a top spot (14%).
According to DraftKingsThe franchises with the fewest wins – in order from bottom to top – are expected to be the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. The three teams after Tottenham have 23.5 wins expected.
Wimpanyama’s impending dominance rivals what Erling Haaland showed during his short spell at Manchester City. He is a young player who has never been seen and seems to be completely unguardable.
You lose matches hoping to land the next basketball star
The NBA’s regular season is scheduled to begin on October 15. The highlight of opening night is undoubtedly a match between LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, Steve Curry and defending champion Golden State Warriors. But as these top teams beat them up, others will devise new ways to lose games in hopes of making it to the next basketball star.
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