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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIn the NBA’s most anticipated lottery drawing of the past 20 years, the San Antonio Spurs emerged as the winner of the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes Tuesday by earning the right to select first in the June 22 draft.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers landed the seventh pick in the draft. The Pacers went into Tuesday’s drawing with only a 6.8% chance of getting the top pick.
The Pacers had been more likely (35.6% chance) to land the eighth pick. They had a 19.7% chance of picking seventh.
Overall, the Pacers have a total of five picks in the two-round draft. They also pick 26th and 29th in the first round and 32nd and 55th in the second.
Wembanyama, 19, is the most acclaimed teenage basketball prospect since LeBron James, thanks to his 7-foot-4 height, well-rounded game and polished off-court personality. The French center, who spent this season starting for Metropolitans 92 in France’s top professional league, wowed NBA executives, scouts and players during a pair of exhibition games outside Las Vegas in October. After the two showcases against the NBA’s G League Ignite developmental team, James hailed Wembanyama as an “alien” and talent evaluators compared him to a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
“I feel like I deserve it, so I’m not going to be surprised by all this attention,” Wembanyama said in October. “If I was amazed by all this, that would mean I’m satisfied with it. I’m not. I want to get better every day. The state I’m at right now is not enough.”
Wembanyama resisted suggestions that he should sit out this season to avoid injury, leading Metropolitans 92 to a spot near the top of the LNB Pro A league standings while averaging 21.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. Along the way, Wembanyama’s viral highlights have dominated social media—including one clip of him following up his own missed three-pointer by rushing in to dunk the offensive rebound in one quick motion.
Wembanyama has captivated the basketball universe because of his height, his 8-foot wingspan and the fact that he seemingly represents a perfect fit for the modern NBA on both sides of the floor. Offensively, he handles the ball and shoots three-pointers a la Kevin Durant, though Wembanyama is also an excellent lob finisher. On the defensive end, he is a natural rim protector whose length and versatility allow him to effectively defend in space.
The biggest concerns facing Wembanyama are his thin frame and potential for injury. Listed at 230 pounds, he can struggle defending stronger players capable of getting into his chest. Before his games with Metropolitans 92, he goes through a complex series of stretching exercises and other drills designed to strengthen his size 20.5 feet and protect against lower body injuries.
Wembanyama has spent little time in the United States, but he speaks fluent English and is expected to command significant interest from the top sneaker companies and other major sponsors. He didn’t attend Tuesday’s lottery drawing because he was in France leading the Metropolitans 92 to a 93-85 victory over Paris Basketball.
“It’s been a goal of mine [to play in the NBA] for a lot of years,” Wembanyama said. “It’s going to be tough to leave some of my family back in Europe and pretty much everything I know, but my future is there on this [American] soil.”
Here are the results of the NBA draft lottery:
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Charlotte Hornets
3. Portland Trail Blazers
4. Houston Rockets
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Orlando Magic
7. Indiana Pacers
8. Washington Wizards
9. Utah Jazz
10. Dallas Mavericks
11. Orlando Magic
12. Oklahoma City Thunder
13. Toronto Raptors
14. New Orleans Pelicans
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They did a nice job winning on the last day of the season, reducing their shot at #1 and knocking themselves back 2 picks.
I want to love the Pacers and the gameday experience is good, but they seem destined to be a mediocre team into perpetuity.
Well said Ryan