Victor Wembanyama: Where do NBA scouts want to see him improve? / News - Basketnews.com

Although Victor Wembanyama has been turning heads all over the basketball world, there's still some things he needs to fix in order to level up his game, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

Credit: AFP - Scanpix Credit AFP - Scanpix

Victor Wembanyama's impressive season has everyone mesmerises, including NBA scouts and analysts. The French wonderkid, who's playing for Metropolitans 92 in the LNB, is emerging as the most productive player in the entire league, ranking second in scoring, third in rebounding, first in blocks and fifth in usage rate.

James Nnaji

Team:FC BarcelonaPosition:CAge:18Height:208 cmWeight:94 kgBirth place:NigeriaProfileNewsStatistics

Metropoltans have racked up four straight wins and currently stand at 6-1, atop of the standings.

Wembanyama created a huge hype around his name when his team visited the States to play the G League Ignite. The biggest NBA prospect to have come out of Europe in recent years posted 73 points in 70 minutes, while displaying "a breathtaking display of shot-making, ballhandling, shot-blocking and passing unlike anything we've ever seen before," as Jonathan Givony, NBA draft expert describes.

Givony, founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and international teams, notes thatWembanyama is playing a different style of basketball in France than what scouts saw against the Ignite in Las Vegas.

"Defense is different [in the United States]," his coach, Vincent Collet said. "He has more room in the G League game. And probably the referees are protecting more. Sometimes they grab him in France [making a bear hug motion with arms]. So that's something special that didn't happen [in Las Vegas]. I don't think he has to play to make seven 3s each game."

The 18-year-old is capable of doing almost everything on the court - perimeter shooting, handling in pick-and-roll and isolation situations, post moves, blocking shots.

According to Givony, the one area scouts want to see him improve is with his physicality on the defensive glass, where he still gets pushed around. Nevertheless, that's an area where Wembanyama has much improved since his time with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.

James Nnaji

MIN:14.48PTS:3.4 (42.86%)REB:3.8As:0.4ST:0BL:0.8TO:1GM:5ProfileACB2022/2023

NBA scouts will relish another chance to see him in action when France NT face Lithuania and Bosnia and Herzegovina for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers on November 11 and 14, respectively.

James Nnaji

In his report, Givony provides a brief account on other non-US players. FC Barcelona's big manJames Nnaji is described as "one of the most physically gifted players in this draft class." But the 16-year-old Nigerian center is likely to be able to offer more to his team, as he demonstrated against EA 7 Emporio Armani Milan last week.

His use of fakes and hooks, his screen-setting ability, even the passes he made during the game, are some of the things that any scout would look for in a prospect.

However, Nnaji has still got to improve his meagre free-throw percentage and his number of unforced turnovers. In addition, his decision-making needs a lot of work too.

Givony thinks Nnaji could be special on the defensive end.

"He makes a huge impact with his combination of length, strength and mobility, especially switching onto guards on the perimeter, sliding his feet and being extremely difficult to shoot over.

He turns his hips exceptionally well to cover ground, get back into plays and protect the rim, averaging an excellent 3.3 blocks per 40 minutes in the EuroLeague and ACB, which makes him one of the best players in both leagues in those categories so far this season."

His overall assessment is thatNnaji seems to be making slow but steady progress, and it's certainly possible that the more unscripted and free-flowing NBA game could actually suit Nnaji much better [than Europe].

Juan Nunez

Former Real Madrid point guard Juan Nunez is next on the list. Givony stresses his playmaking abilities, highlighted by his 8.2 assists per 40 minutes with German side Ratiopharm Ulm.

Nunez, 18, still lacks consistent and effective outside shooting, as his poor 12.5% (2/16) three-point percentage indicates. Moreover, his assist-turnover ratio is a cause for concern, while he also needs to take several steps to be a good defender.

"Nunez still sees quite a few minutes late in games on a team that is 2-2 in the EuroCup and 2-5 in Germany, but he will need to improve his efficiency to maintain his standing in Ulm's rotation considering the slow start," Givony notes.

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