Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson will play tonight and Thursday.
For the second year in a row, NBA Draft fans and NBA front offices will get to see the likely top two picks in the draft play against each other. Last year Paolo Banchero’s Duke team beat Chet Holmgren’s Gonzaga squad. This year, Victor Wembanyama’s Metropolitans 92 will take on Scoot Henderson’s G League Ignite team.
Wembanyama is a 7-4 big and Henderson is a 6-3 guard so it seems unlikely we’ll see them guarding each other much. Although, maybe Wembanyama may have to stay with Henderson on the perimeter in a switch situation. That would be especially intriguing to watch.
Wembanyama has drawn comparisons to all of the other “unicorns” like Holmgren and Wizards’ center Kristaps Porzingis. At his size, it’s extremely rare to see such fluid movement and guard skills.
As an athletic, powerfully-build guard, I’ve seen Henderson compared to Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook. He most reminds me of former Maryland Terrapin and NBA guard Steve Francis.
While it seems unlikely the Wizards will find themselves in a position to draft either, unless they suddenly decide to blow things up early in the season, the game will feature other prospects of note. The G League Ignite roster is made up of several players who could end up in the Wizards’ potential range and I’m sure someone from their staff will be in Las Vegas to see the game in person.
Efe Abogidi is a 6-10 athletic forward who previously played at Washington State. Sidy Cissoko is a 6-6 French point-forward with defensive potential, similar to Dyson Daniels’ role for the Ignite last year. Mojave King is a 6-6 wing who, like Daniels, is from Australia. Leonard Miller, a skilled 6-10 Canadian forward, tested the waters last year but ultimately wasn’t ready.
The first match-up is tonight at 10 p.m. EST on ESPN2. The second game will be Thursday at 3 p.m. EST on ESPN2.