The NBA Draft takes place on June 22 at the Barclays Center; Victor Wembanyama is the No 1 pick and will be donning a San Antonio Spurs jersey. We take a look at why the franchise is destined for success with the French phenom at the helm
Friday 16 June 2023 13:56, UK
The NBA Draft takes place on June 22 at the Barclays Center. Victor Wembanyama is the No 1 pick and will be donning a San Antonio Spurs jersey.
The 19-year-old has completed his Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 duties after they were swept by Monaco in the French League Finals, and can finally give Gregg Popovich his undivided attention.
We've detailed four reasons why we think the pair are destined for success...
Wembanyama could be the most valuable No 1 pick since LeBron James landed on the scene in 2003. Twenty years later, the comparisons being made to some of the NBA's greatest legends should tell you why the hype is real.
"He's the next Michael Jordan," "just like Kobe Bryant."
In truth, he is none of those players, and perhaps, something more complex. Wembanyama can shoot, dribble, defend, rebound, and moves the ball as if he's been around for far longer than he actually has been.
There's certainly something super-human about him, but that's exactly why some observers think the 7ft, 5in sensation can change the franchise's and the league's direction.
And you can bet your bottom dollar that San Antonio won't be passing on him as Draft Day nears.
This isn't the Spurs' first rodeo into draft-winning territory. Indeed, they've had incredible success with the No 1 pick on two previous occasions.
The first came in 1987, with David Robinson, and then a decade later, when Popovich pulled Tim Duncan.
Together they created a dynasty that led San Antonio to two championships. After Robinson retired, Duncan went on to win three more titles with the franchise.
It's clear Spurs envisage doing something similar with Wembanyama. The good part is that Popovich, who coached Duncan and Robinson, is still around to help him develop and may already have a plan.
Unlike Duncan, who had Robinson alongside, Wembanyama won't be part of a double act. Reports from the Spurs camp suggest the team may be looking to alleviate that by pursuing a veteran point guard.
Chris Paul and Fred VanVleet are the names of interest, according to SpursTalk's LJ Ellis.
He posits that the opportunity to pair Wembanyama with an experienced playmaker at point guard will ultimately be "impossible for San Antonio to pass up."
VanVleet might be the preferred option; he is younger and fits the team dynamic better.
Paul's knowhow, however, cannot be ignored. It may be necessary, considering there were only three players on the roster this season with more than four years of experience.
As the free agency window commences, there might be other emerging options to mull over, too. James Harden, Kyle Kuzma, Jeff Green, Bruce Brown, could all be potential additions.
One thing's for sure, the Frenchman is around for the long haul, and Spurs are preparing to build a dynasty around him.
Many will recall that this isn't the first time the Spurs have poached a French superstar.
Tony Parker and Boris Diaw both won championships in San Antonio under Popovich - a feat that has not been lost on Wembanyama.
"There's a special relationship between France and the Spurs because of Tony, of course, and also Boris," he said on Tuesday. "I know half of the country, maybe if not the whole country, wanted the Spurs to have the first pick, so I was looking at everyone, and everyone was happy, so I was too."
Parker spent 17 seasons with the team after being drawn as the 28th pick in 2001. He went on to win four titles and will be the first French player inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Diaw played for the Spurs for five seasons and helped them win a championship in 2014.
If history is to repeat itself, Popovich won't need long to return the franchise to the league's upper echelon, and Wembanyama will set the season alight. All that's left to do is wait.
