Jared Harper: 'Scoot Henderson deserves to be the No.1 draft pick' / News - Basketnews.com

Jared Harper shares with BasketNews his experience in the G League and breaks down how Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson can have successful NBA careers.

Credit: Fabrizio Bertani/Pacific Press via ZUMA Press Wire; Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP Credit Fabrizio Bertani/Pacific Press via ZUMA Press Wire; Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP

In most cases, the very first matchup between the projected first and second pick in the NBA Draft is supposed to happen when both are already playing in the league. However, that's not the case with Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, widely considered the two frontrunners for the top two spots in the 2023 draft.

Scoot Henderson

Position:PG, SGAge:19Height:188 cmWeight:88 kgBirth place:United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

For the first time since 2003, neither of the (projected) top-two picks were playing college basketball: Wembanyama, born and raised just outside Paris, plays for Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 in the French LNB, while Henderson took his own unique path by choosing the G League Ignite and foregoing his senior year in high school.

Thus, two of the world's most talented players Under-19 battled it out in two exhibition games on October 4 and 6, 2022. Wembanyama scored a game-high 37 points in the first match-up, shooting 7/11 from 3-point range while racking up 5 blocks.

Meanwhile, Henderson went off for 28 points, 9 assists, and 3 steals, while his team emerged as the winners by 122-115.

Tables were turned two days later when Wembanyama's 36-point outing helped Metropolitans respond with a 112-106 win. Henderson had to leave the game early after injuring his knee following a collision with the Frenchman.

Even though it's hard to make any serious conclusion from a couple of exhibition games, it's clear that the two 19-year-olds have a bright future ahead of them.

With the EuroLeague campaign already underway andValencia Baskettrying to build chemistry ahead of a demanding season, Jared Harpertook some time off to watch both contests knowing what to expect from Henderson but being unfamiliar with Wembanyama's game.

Henderson, who is out of Marietta, Georgia, was heavily recruited by Auburn college in 2020 and had regular workouts with a former star of the program. Yes, that was Jared Harper, who had led Auburn to a historic NCAA Final Four run in 2019.

"Both had great games when they played against each other," Harper comments on the Henderson-Wembanyama duel.

"It was the first time I got to see Wembanyama and the different things he can do on the floor. It was different than watching the highlights," the Valencia Basket guard admits.

What's even more interesting about the workouts Henderson had with Harper is that the young talent said he feels like their game is a bit similar. Just because of his stature (1.88 m), Henderson will need to overcome all height-related issues to be able to fulfill his great potential. That's what Harper, a 1.78-meter point guard, would like to see also.

"He's one of the younger guys I talk to. He's coming into the draft this year, playing in the G League. He's a very skilled player and a hard worker.

I think that's why I and him mesh so well together. Our work ethics mesh with one another. He's going to have a great NBA career," Harper maintains.

The former NBA guard doesn't think Henderson is paying attention to what Wembanyama's doing in Europe on a team that serves his talents in the best way possible.

"He's more focused on controlling the things he can control and doing what he can do to develop his game and play in the NBA," says Harper, who's not willing to go into the debate on who will be drafted first. That's not to say his preference isn't clear, though.

"Wembanyama is 7'3'' (2.19 m) and he can dribble the ball, shoot, block shots; he can do everything," he concedes and goes on to point out that the biggest thing isn't necessarily where players get drafted, but what's the best fit for them to develop and be the best they can be.

"I don't believe it matters who gets first or second. Of course, I know Scoop's a competitor. He wants to be the No.1 pick. I think he deserves to be the No.1 pick also," Harper argues.

What really counts, in the long run, is that both will have successful NBA careers. That's what Harper thinks based on what he's seen so far from the two future stars.

"I can't think of anything that's missing from their skill set. They're both going to improve with the things that make them special," he says.

Scoot Henderson's career began at the high school level. He played for Carlton J. Kell High School in Marietta, Georgia, and was a consensus five-star recruit in the 2022 class. In 2021, he signed with G-League Ignite to get some pro experience, which is exactly what Wembanyama had signed up for a couple of years earlier than him.

The French prodigy began playing U-21 basketball in 2019, aged 15. Later that year, he made his professional debut for Nanterre 92 at the EuroCup, becoming the second-youngest player to play at that level. He played 13 games for LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne before opting out of his contract.

Harper has no doubt that Henderson is physically ready to compete at the NBA level even right now- and that's something that gives him a slight advantage over his French counterpart.

"Scoot's overall game is going to continue to grow over the course of his career," he stresses.

"Wembanyama has all the skills and I think his physical will catch up to his skills. He can do a lot of things with his size. The NBA is a very physical league and he'll be playing against grown men," he underlines.

Harper is aware that the versatile big man has done just that - at least in the last couple of years and especially in the EuroLeague last season. But he also believes that he'll pick up more things with the passage of time andover the course of his career.

Jared Harper represented the Pelicans jersey on a two-way contract last season. He appeared in five NBA games and posted 7.4 points and 2.8 assists. Leaving the world's top league can be a bitter pill to swallow for some players, but there are a lot of factors that come into play when trying to establish a lasting NBA presence.

Even if Henderson and Wembanyama aren't drafted with the first two picks (which looks highly unlikely), their landing destination can decide a lot more in terms of their short-term future in the league. Harper thinks that the ideal teams for rookies are those where newcomers can play a lot so that they get NBA -level experience.

"The more you play, the better you get," he notes. Hence, a title contender wouldn't be the best fit for them.

"Or, [it would be good] if there's a spot open on a title-contending team where they can play a lot and they trust them," Harper adds. "Both can perform at a high level."

Harper made the All-NBA G League Team in his last two seasons, averaging 21.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.4 steals over 23 games in 2021-22. He also got acouple of NBA opportunities, but none of them really stuck.

"I had a good time. I improved my game and I was on the floor a lot. So, I was able to learn many things too," he holds.

And despite Scoot Henderson's eagerness and impatience to reach the top level as soon as possible, no one can guarantee that skipping one's senior year in high school is the best practice.

"It's a unique situation that works on a case-to-case basis," Harper reflects.

"Some players need to go to college, some can skip college and go to the pro atmosphere. Scoop is one of those people that were able to skip college because of the physical attributes that allowed him to learn the game at a different level."

Over the past few years, the G League has become more than a springboard for players to enter the NBA pool. The goal is to get an NBA deal (Tyler Dorsey) or be eligible for a future relocation to Europe (Shabazz Napier). Whatever the case may be, it seems that the NBA Development League is becoming more attractive for American players.

However, Harper wouldn't bet on it.

"The most attractive part about the G League is your closer access to the NBA," he remarks.

"That's what most American players want to do. I want to play in the NBA again, of course. So, that's the fastest way to get there."

Credit AP Photo/Garett Fisbeck

As he mentioned in the first part of his interview with BasketNews, the player of Valencia Basket is certain that being in Europe is better for his overall basketball game. Henderson is aiming at the NBA as a young prospect, but Harper's job is to establish himself in the Old Continent while being appreciative of what overseas basketball can offer.

"I feel like I'm getting better playing against better competition. Europe has definitely been beneficial for me," he observes.

"You have a lot of players in Europe that can also play in the NBA, and a lot of European teams have been together for extended periods of time. They have chemistry and are really good teams."

That's something you don't get in the G League on any given night. But don't tell Scoot Henderson, in case he hasn't found it out yet.

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