‘Generational talent’ Wembanyama and San Antonio Spurs are a perfect fit Premium

‘Generational talent’ Wembanyama and San Antonio Spurs are a perfect fit

The most marquee event in the basketball world is currently in play — the NBA Finals between Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat.

Even as this premier event is being played under the watchful eyes of fans, players, coaches across the world, some attention is also being garnered by a less heralded league playoffs — the French top tier professional basketball league or LNB Pro A — and largely because of one large individual — Victor Wembanyama. The 19-year-old Frenchman is the cynosure of all eyes as he helped Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 beat ASVEL and reach the LNB Pro A finals on Sunday.

Though one of the youngest players in the league, Wembanyama played a major role in his team’s journey to the finals, by averaging 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 3 blocks and 0.7 steals. Wembanyama plays a hybrid position as a power forward/centre and his skill-set and production is far beyond his years.

The lean teenager is a physical specimen at 7 feet 4 inches tall with an eight-feet wingspan and a humongous standing reach. But what sets him apart from other tall hoopsters is his skillset. Wembanyama is a well co-ordinated basketball player who is adept as a rim protector as well as a shooter, a ball handler and a passer.

The phrase “generational talent” is not used loosely in the NBA, which is a star-driven league like no other. Basketball might be a team sport but having at least one “star” player — an efficient and high volume scorer or a two way maestro is a necessary, if not, a sufficient condition for contention.

While free agency (the period when players are allowed to choose their teams) allows for teams to acquire ‘stars’, the sureshot way of getting a high profile talent is through the NBA Draft — a system that allows for lower-ranked teams in the league to pick new collegiate and overseas talent for the league. This year the Draft is being held on June 23 (IST) and Wembanyama is expected to be the first pick.

The first pick in the NBA draft has more often than not been the best prospect (aged 18 and above) coming from collegiate or overseas league ranks. NBA scouts fan far and wide to identify talent and the best prospects are invariably those who combine strong physical and skill advantages at their youthful ages to contend for the top slot in the lottery system. The probability of an NBA first pick to become an all star or an all-NBA player is relatively high, but it is not a given.