2023-05-15 21:00:00
DECRYPTION – The future of the 19-year-old French prodigy will change on Tuesday, during the traditional lottery.
Where will Victor Wembanyama play next season? A question that will find its answer this Tuesday (2 a.m. on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday), in Chicago, during the lottery, the draw which will determine the order of passage of the teams during the NBA Draft on June 22. Everything you need to know about this event which will mark the history of French basketball. Moreover, “Wemby” will not be the only tricolor basketball player in the Draft, with Nadir Hifi, Bilal Coulibaly, Rayan Rupert and Sidy Cissoko who will also be on the starting line. But it is with the objective of putting the grappling hook on the giant of the Mets 92 that the 14 clubs concerned will dream of the first choice…
Is Wembanyama certain to be selected in the first choice of the Draft?
One thing is certain: the main party has little doubt about it. “10 days before knowing my future team. It’s really a crazy thing“, he slipped on Twitter, on May 6, with a touch of provocation. With these words, he expressed his certainty of being selected first on June 22. And this even if the so-called Scoot Henderson still believes in his chances. “I know that I will be the first“, he said again in mid-April. He is, however, the only one to think about it, because at 99.99%, it is “Wemby” who will have this honor, given his status as a mutant, an exceptional technical background in the service of a physique that is not. Not less. Unheard of in terms of profile. A UFO.
Clearly, Wembanyama is right: he will know his future team this Tuesday, it will be the one who will draw first in the Draft. “Day by day I realize it a little more but it’s only excitement“, he declared to explain this tweet, after having entertained the 15,000 spectators of Bercy with Boulogne-Levallois. So far, we have not seen a Frenchman selected higher than Killian Hayes (Detroit), seventh in 2020. The previous French record holder? Joakim Noah, called ninth by the Bulls in 2007. He is one of the three All Stars of French basketball with Tony Parker and Rudy Gobert, the latter having been selected only in 28th and 27th choice.
Which teams are involved?
14 franchises are on the starting line, the 14 worst of the season. Over the years, since 1985, the NBA has changed the format of its lottery. Thus, the last one does not automatically draw first and does not even have the best chance of hitting the jackpot. In fact, the bottom three in the regular season standings have a 14% chance of drawing first in the Draft, Detroit, Houston and San Antonio. The percentage is then decreasing for Charlotte (12.5%), Portland (10.5%), Orlando (9%), Indiana (6.8%), Washington (6.7%), Utah (4.5% ), Dallas (3%), Chicago (1.8%), Oklahoma City (1.7%), Toronto (1%) and New Orleans (0.5%). Obviously, one can always imagine that the winner of the first choice will decide to trade it. Except that no one would want to sell a “Wemby”…
All odds of lottery 2023. NBA
What would be the best pickaxe for Wembanyama?
One can imagine that the tandem that the French could form with Luka Doncic in Dallas would have everything to reign, and for a long time, over the NBA, but the Mavericks have little chance of getting their hands on it. Lillard/Wembanyama in Portland wouldn’t be bad either… Sportingly, Wembanyama would also have fun with Shai Gilgeous Alexander in the young and brilliant Oklahoma City team, which however has even less chance than Dallas of inheriting the first choice. In San Antonio, the native of Chesnay would have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Tony Parker and begin his career in the NBA under the orders of a master, Gregg Popovich.
“Wemby” should fly to the United States with an MVP title in his pocket. FRANCK FIFE / AFP
In Detroit and Orlando, he would have the opportunity to team up with promising young talent. His future lieutenants? Cade Cunningham at the Pistons and Paolo Banchero, rookie of the past season, on the Magic side. In Houston, there is almost everything to build. But with a cornerstone like the French prodigy, that’s not necessarily a problem… The kind of player who could even give wings to Michael Jordan’s Hornets. And make “His Airness” want to postpone its sales project for its shares in the club? Wembanyama could also form a tandem of twin towers with Kristaps Porzingis in Washington or Lauri Markkanen in Utah. In short, there is no bad option for a talent of this ilk, knowing that his future team will necessarily build around him, but Dallas and OKC represent the most attractive destinations.
Being chosen first, a guarantee of success?
No. In any case, it is far from being automatic. Some first choices represent huge flops, like Anthony Bennett in 2013, Greg Oden in 2007 or Andrea Bargnani, in 2006, not to mention the legendary Kwame Brown (LA Lakers) in Washington, in 2001. Without going so far In these extreme cases, we later discover that other players would have deserved this honor. Remember that Michael Jordan was only selected in third place in 1984, behind Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston) and… Sam Bowie (Portland). A priori, the club that will bet its marbles on Victor Wembanyama will not take any risks and should not regret it…
Read alsoNBA: “No matter where I land, it will be a good place”, enthuses Wembanyama
Lottery, how does it work?
It’s all about… ping pong balls, probabilities and machines. Each of the 14 teams involved will be assigned a number of four-digit combinations based on their standings at the end of the regular season. Example, Detroit, San Antonio and Houston will have 140 combinations out of 1001 possible, against only five for New Orleans. Any of the 1001 combinations will be declared invalid and will be ignored if drawn.
To be very precise, the draw will take place as follows: the balls will be shuffled by the machine for 20 seconds before the first is drawn, then 10 seconds will pass between each draw. The first four-digit combination obtained will be used to designate the team that will inherit the first choice in the Draft. The maneuver will be repeated for the first four choices. The next ones, five through 14, will be determined based on the reverse order of the regular season standings. Note that if the combination of numbers designating the same team is drawn several times, the result is eliminated and the process is repeated. The representatives of the teams concerned will not be informed of the draw until the opening of the envelopes by Mark Tatum, deputy commissioner NBA.
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