As the gem of the 2023 NBA Draft, Victor Wembanyama already has some big demands ahead of his jump to the Association.
Victor Wembanyama has not played an official game in the NBA. He has not even been drafted yet. But the overwhelming expectation is that he will be the next great sensation in the Association. He’s already being labeled the best NBA Draft prospect in decades and is putting up monster numbers ahead of his jump to the Association.
As the unanimous No. 1 overall pick heading into the 2023 NBA Draft, it’s clear that Victor is already envisioning what his move to the NBA is going to look like. So much so that he had some interesting thoughts that are, at the very least, a little thought-provoking for any team that is looking – or hoping – to land the generational talent.
Victor Wembanyama wants to take over the NBA
In a recent profile on Wembanyama, he made it known that he wants to be the focal point of an offense and that he doesn’t want to play center.
Considering that Wembanyama currently measures up to 7-foot-5, it would be extremely interesting to see how he’s going to translate to the league.
From a simple skill set standpoint, Wembanyama’s “demands” are quite understandable. A player as talented as he is should be the focal point of an offense. He can handle the ball, shoot the 3, and at 7-foot-5, there aren’t going to be many, if any, defenders in the league that will be able to stop him in transition.
And playing him at the center position may not let him have the impact on the game that he’s looking to have – though, you can make an argument for Nikola Jokic, who is the focal point of the Denver Nuggets offense.
All in all, I wouldn’t read too much into these comments. In the history of the NBA, I don’t think playing center is something that was desired by many. Even centers often don’t want to play center.
It’s not a sexy position. It’s not a position that gets the headlines or the sneakers.
And if Wembanyama is the generational prospect that many seem to believe that he is, he will be the focal point of the offense as soon as he enters the league. And looking at the teams that may be in a position to draft him, he probably should be the focal point of those offenses.
I’m ready for the Wembanyama revolution. The question is, is the rest of the league?