Victor Wembanyama has already been hailed as a generational talent and he completely lived up to the hype on American territory Tuesday night. The big man poured in 37 points and swatted five shots against the G-League Ignite and projected second overall pick behind him in the 2023 NBA Draft, Scoot Henderson.
After over 200 scouts came to Las Vegas to watch Wembanyama put on an absolute clinic, many teams are now hoping the Frenchman shuts it down for the rest of the season to steer clear of any injury risk. But, his agent Bouna Ndiaye made a strong statement on Wednesday, stating his client will continue to play. Via Jonathan Givony of ESPN:
“NBA people are telling me to shut him down, and we are not going to shut him down,” Bouna Ndiaye told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony. “If we came with that kind of talk to (Victor Wembanyama), he will look at us and say, ‘What are you talking about?' He'll never agree to that. He wants to compete and get better. With Victor, it's basketball first and everything else second. He was so pissed off that he lost.”
Totally understandable from both sides. Organizations see a 7-foot-4 player who has the handles and athleticism of a guard and just want him to tone it down until the draft rolls around. But from Wembanyama's standpoint, he's a competitor and wants to keep improving ahead of next summer.
It's still unfathomable just how good Wembanyama is and could be in the future. The 18-year-old also went 7 for 11 from downtown versus the Ignite, showcasing a complete skill set. He'll need to put on some weight to bang with NBA bodies, but Victor Wembanyama is already extremely skilled.
Whoever gets him at No. 1 will be buzzing.
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