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Scoot Henderson should be taken over Victor Wembenyama in this year's draft, and here's why...
HoopDiamonds Apparel: http://www.hoopdiamonds.co
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ESPN on Victor:
All eyes are on 7-foot-4 French prospect Victor Wembanyama leading up to next June's 2023 NBA draft. The 18-year-old that LeBron James dubbed "a generational talent" captivated basketball fans during a two-game exhibition showcase in October against Scoot Henderson's G League Ignite.
With 200 NBA scouts and executives in attendance, Wembanyama showed off his full skill set -- creating his shot off the dribble, running the fast break, shooting step-back 3s, finishing above the rim and using his 8-foot wingspan to serve as a menace at the rim -- cementing his status as the top prospect in basketball over Henderson.
Back in France and with no plans of shutting it down early to prepare for the draft, Wembanyama is slated to play through at least May with French club Metropolitans 92. ESPN has you covered with the latest Wembanyama stats, schedule and updates on the most anticipated draft prospect since LeBron James.
ESPN on Scoot's move to G League Ignite:
Sterling "Scoot" Henderson, the No. 7 prospect in the ESPN class of 2022 recruiting rankings, has signed with the NBA's G League Ignite program, the league announced Friday.
The move signals a shift in the nature of the G League Ignite thinking. Henderson is the first high school junior to commit to the Ignite program and, due to his age, marks the first player signed who is not NBA draft-eligible the next year.
Henderson has finished all coursework and will graduate high school a year early next week, with graduation a prerequisite for joining the G League Ignite. Because he will not turn 19 until 2023, Henderson will not be eligible for the 2022 NBA draft and is committing to spend two years with the Ignite program.
Auburn, Georgia, Arkansas, Kentucky and Florida State were some of the schools most heavily involved in Henderson's recruiting. Henderson, who goes to Kell High School in Marietta, Georgia, had an impressive junior year that saw him ascend recruiting rankings after leading his team to the class 6A state title game.
At 6-foot-3, Henderson is one of quickest and most explosive athletes in the high school game, while also showing strong potential as a perimeter shooter. His 6-9 wingspan gives him good potential on the defensive end.
Early showings on the grassroots circuit this spring indicated that Henderson had a case to be considered a top-three prospect in the 2022 class, along with Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren.
Henderson is the second prospect officially announced to the G League Ignite, joining big man Michael Foster from Hillcrest Prep in Arizona. Jaden Hardy, the No. 2 prospect in the 2021 high school class, has announced his intentions to join the program but has not officially signed a contract, a source told ESPN.
Eighteen-year-old Chinese forward Fanbo Zeng, who previously committed to play for Gonzaga, also announced that he'll be joining the Ignite via a statement posted on his Weibo account last month. His signing has also not yet been officially consummated.
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HoopDiamonds is a grassroots & high school basketball content creation platform based out of South Florida, dedicated to bringing you the best and highest quality basketball video content on the internet.
Tags: Scoot Henderson, Scoot Henderson highlights, Victor Wembanyama, Victor Wembanyama highlights, NBA Draft, NBA, NBA Basketball
https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/HOOPDIAMONDS
----
Scoot Henderson should be taken over Victor Wembenyama in this year's draft, and here's why...
HoopDiamonds Apparel: http://www.hoopdiamonds.co
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hoopdiamonds
----
ESPN on Victor:
All eyes are on 7-foot-4 French prospect Victor Wembanyama leading up to next June's 2023 NBA draft. The 18-year-old that LeBron James dubbed "a generational talent" captivated basketball fans during a two-game exhibition showcase in October against Scoot Henderson's G League Ignite.
With 200 NBA scouts and executives in attendance, Wembanyama showed off his full skill set -- creating his shot off the dribble, running the fast break, shooting step-back 3s, finishing above the rim and using his 8-foot wingspan to serve as a menace at the rim -- cementing his status as the top prospect in basketball over Henderson.
Back in France and with no plans of shutting it down early to prepare for the draft, Wembanyama is slated to play through at least May with French club Metropolitans 92. ESPN has you covered with the latest Wembanyama stats, schedule and updates on the most anticipated draft prospect since LeBron James.
ESPN on Scoot's move to G League Ignite:
Sterling "Scoot" Henderson, the No. 7 prospect in the ESPN class of 2022 recruiting rankings, has signed with the NBA's G League Ignite program, the league announced Friday.
The move signals a shift in the nature of the G League Ignite thinking. Henderson is the first high school junior to commit to the Ignite program and, due to his age, marks the first player signed who is not NBA draft-eligible the next year.
Henderson has finished all coursework and will graduate high school a year early next week, with graduation a prerequisite for joining the G League Ignite. Because he will not turn 19 until 2023, Henderson will not be eligible for the 2022 NBA draft and is committing to spend two years with the Ignite program.
Auburn, Georgia, Arkansas, Kentucky and Florida State were some of the schools most heavily involved in Henderson's recruiting. Henderson, who goes to Kell High School in Marietta, Georgia, had an impressive junior year that saw him ascend recruiting rankings after leading his team to the class 6A state title game.
At 6-foot-3, Henderson is one of quickest and most explosive athletes in the high school game, while also showing strong potential as a perimeter shooter. His 6-9 wingspan gives him good potential on the defensive end.
Early showings on the grassroots circuit this spring indicated that Henderson had a case to be considered a top-three prospect in the 2022 class, along with Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren.
Henderson is the second prospect officially announced to the G League Ignite, joining big man Michael Foster from Hillcrest Prep in Arizona. Jaden Hardy, the No. 2 prospect in the 2021 high school class, has announced his intentions to join the program but has not officially signed a contract, a source told ESPN.
Eighteen-year-old Chinese forward Fanbo Zeng, who previously committed to play for Gonzaga, also announced that he'll be joining the Ignite via a statement posted on his Weibo account last month. His signing has also not yet been officially consummated.
----
HoopDiamonds is a grassroots & high school basketball content creation platform based out of South Florida, dedicated to bringing you the best and highest quality basketball video content on the internet.
Tags: Scoot Henderson, Scoot Henderson highlights, Victor Wembanyama, Victor Wembanyama highlights, NBA Draft, NBA, NBA Basketball
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00 Victor Wembenyama is the most intriguing prospect we've seen coming into the draft since Kevin Durant or Anthony Davis.
00:05 He's 7'2" with exceptional fluidity, the ability to handle the rock, and an efficient scorer outside.
00:10 But, despite all those things, I still wouldn't take him with the first pick in next year's draft.
00:15 Alright, so let's start with a little bit of context.
00:23 Victor is an 18-year-old global phenom born in Le Chesne, France.
00:26 His father Felix is a 6'6" former long jumper, and his mother Elodie, who's 6'3", used to play basketball.
00:32 He also has a sister named Eve, who led the France under-16 team to a gold medal.
00:36 So it's safe to say, athletic genes are definitely running through this kid's blood.
00:39 He was coached by his mother up until the age of 10, when he was then asked to join the youth system of the French professional club Nanterre 92.
00:45 During his time there, his parents refused offers from big names like FC Barcelona and other big clubs in France.
00:51 When he was 15 years, 9 months, and 25 days old, Victor made his professional debut in the Euro Cup, making him the second youngest player to ever play in the competition.
00:59 Then, in the summer of 2021, he signed a 3-year contract with ASVL, one of the most decorated clubs in France, and was actually owned by Tony Parker.
01:06 A year later, he took home his second consecutive Best Young Player award.
01:10 However, less than a month after, he suffered a muscle injury that forced him to miss the rest of the Pro-A playoffs.
01:14 After the season finished, Victor opted out of his contract with ASVL and decided to sign a 2-year deal with the Metropolitans 92, which leads us to what we saw a couple weeks ago.
01:23 Victor and his team traveled to Las Vegas at the beginning of this month to play a doubleheader against the G League Ignite squad,
01:28 which is essentially the NBA's attempt at giving elite high school prospects another pathway to the NBA draft that doesn't include pretending to be a college student for a semester.
01:36 They've produced four first-rounders, three of which were lottery picks, and a pair of early second-rounders in just two years of being assembled.
01:41 So it's safe to say this new G League route has been pretty effective.
01:44 And the player being touted as the next one out of this Ignite program is Scoot Henderson.
01:48 Scoot is a 6'2" point guard from Marietta, Georgia with out-of-this-world athletic ability.
01:53 And I'm not just saying that either.
01:54 Coming from someone who's seen and filmed just about every great athlete dating back to the class of 2015, I've sort of become numb to these things.
02:01 But he's truly up there with the best of them.
02:03 Zion, Quay, Derek Jones, he's that kind of athlete packed into a 6'2" long-armed, muscular frame.
02:09 And what's unique about Scoot's G League Ignite experience is the fact that he's going into his second year with them.
02:14 Prior to him, guys would join the program after graduating high school.
02:17 But Scoot made national headlines when he became the first player to forgo his senior year and begin playing professionally within the United States as a 17-year-old.
02:24 Now, there have been a number of cases of guys going overseas and then returning a year later once they become draft eligible.
02:29 But no one has ever done that within the United States, especially prior to even leaving high school.
02:33 So in a lot of ways, Scoot has been a trailblazer forging his own pathway to the NBA.
02:37 Alright guys, let's take a quick second out of today's video to thank our sponsor, SeatGeek.
02:41 If you're not too sure who SeatGeek is or what they do, they're a ticketing app that makes your buying experience to get tickets online as easy as possible.
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02:55 And one of my favorite parts of the app is how they let you know whether or not you're getting a good deal.
02:58 It's real easy. Look for the green dots. Those are usually the good or great deals.
03:02 And if you see the red dots, that means you're probably not getting the best deal.
03:05 For those of you watching this video, go ahead and use my code "HOOPDIAMONDS" to get $20 off your next purchase.
03:10 That's promo code "HOOPDIAMONDS". That'll get you $20 off of your next purchase on SeatGeek.
03:16 I appreciate them sponsoring this video. I also appreciate you guys watching this video, as always.
03:20 Now let's get back to the original scheduled programming.
03:23 Alright, so now that we have some context and background established, let's get into the stuff on the floor and why I think I would take Scoot over Victor.
03:29 To start, I'm in no way saying I think Victor is a bad player,
03:32 or that he's anything short of the exceptionally unique prospect he's being touted to be.
03:36 He really has earned all the hyperbole and praise that has gone his way.
03:39 He possesses a truly freakish wingspan, coupled with a high defensive IQ.
03:43 Then on the offensive side of the floor, he does things with the basketball he just shouldn't be able to do.
03:47 His game is extremely polished for a guy his size and at his age.
03:50 To say he's a matchup nightmare is an egregious understatement.
03:52 Best case scenario for Victor, he goes on to be a once-in-a-century kind of player, and someone we truly have never seen before.
03:58 With that said, I just personally have my reservations about whether or not he'll ever go on to reach that full potential,
04:03 and become the player that these experts and fans have envisioned him to be.
04:06 Most of that concern stems from the question marks about his longevity.
04:09 It's no secret that there is a long history of guys who are over 7 feet that either never reach their full potential,
04:14 or in some cases don't get a chance to establish themselves in the league at all.
04:17 Think Sam Bowie, Ralph Sampson, Yao Ming, Greg Oden, and a whole host of others.
04:22 Then you have active players like Kristaps Porzingis,
04:24 who everyone thought was on the verge of taking over the entire league before he tore his ACL in 2018.
04:29 Or Chet Holmgren, who won't even be able to play his entire rookie season due to a Liz Frank fracture in his foot playing in a summer league game.
04:35 Now I'm not sitting here saying he's gonna get injured, and I truly hope he doesn't.
04:38 But it is a legitimate concern for a guy who's 7'2" and is as mobile and active on the floor as he is.
04:42 But what I am doing is simply highlighting that there is inherent risk attached to drafting someone at that size.
04:47 Especially when factoring in that he's far more mobile than a lot of his 7' predecessors,
04:51 potentially exposing him to even more chances for injury.
04:54 On the other end of this, you got Scoop, an explosive point guard who has a great handle,
04:58 elite feel for the game, an improving jumper, and is a relentless finisher at the rim.
05:02 He's the kind of player who welcomes and absorbs contact while also possessing the size and strength to finish through it.
05:07 Now I did say "improving jumper" because that was one of the things that was looked at as a slight deficiency while he was in high school.
05:12 It was by no means bad, it just wasn't anything you'd consider a strength.
05:15 His shooting motion is clean and fluid, it's just a matter of putting the time and reps in.
05:19 But having the luxury of approaching the game as a professional for the past year has clearly paid dividends on that front.
05:23 And I think we'll continue to see his improvement in confidence and consistency shooting the rock as he continues to put in the work.
05:29 Just like another Atlanta product, Colin Sexton, he doesn't seem to be someone who shies away from the gym.
05:33 Now there is something that Scoot and Victor both have in common, and will separate them from the rest of their draft class.
05:38 It's the distinct advantage of playing professionally for two years before getting drafted.
05:42 I'd be lying if I said that I knew which league was more talented or tougher to play in,
05:45 but I would have to imagine they both have benefited greatly by playing against people who call this their job.
05:50 There's a huge difference between playing against grown men who have bills to pay and mouths to feed,
05:54 than playing against your peers, who at times are probably more concerned with what frat party they're hitting after the game,
05:59 than having to worry about their basketball future.
06:01 Alright, so I dove into some of the pros and cons of both of these players.
06:04 Now it's time to explain why I personally would take Scoot over Victor if I was the GM possessing the number one pick in next year's draft.
06:10 It really comes down to three things. Risk, trends, and hunger.
06:14 Risk is pretty obvious, and something I've already covered in this video.
06:17 I just flat out think that Scoot is a safer bet, and has a higher probability of reaching his full potential as a player at the next level.
06:23 Yes, his ceiling is much lower than Victor's if you were to put them both in a simulation with a 100% success rate,
06:28 but that's just not how things work unfortunately.
06:30 And because of that, you have to evaluate whether his ceiling is just high enough for you to be okay with the decision in case it doesn't play out that way.
06:37 I'm personally confident enough in Scoot's ceiling and development that if Victor does become the all-world player he's expected to be,
06:43 I'll still be satisfied with the player I drafted and his contributions to my team and the organization.
06:48 Now my second reasoning is trends.
06:50 If you look at the teams who won the championship in the last 20 years or so, they all have something in common.
06:54 They have elite ball handlers, playmakers, and game managers.
06:57 Whether that's Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, or Chauncey Billups,
07:02 they all have that ability to take control of the ball and lead their team to the promised land.
07:05 Something that I haven't seen often is a unicorn leading their team to an NBA championship.
07:09 With maybe the exception of Giannis two years ago, but I'm not even sure if that counts.
07:13 In my eyes, he almost falls into the categories of guys I just listed than a true unicorn.
07:17 Dirk Nowitzki in 2011 is really the only player I'd say fits the mold of what Victor projects out to be that has won an NBA title in the last 20 years.
07:25 The league is guard heavy and there's an undeniable premium on having one who is elite and not just talented.
07:30 Because there's more guards that have talent in the NBA than ever today.
07:32 But being truly elite, if you can lock one of them in for years to come, you'll be in great shape going forward.
07:37 And for the last one, hunger.
07:39 Now this is entirely subjective and something that I can't really speak on when it comes to Victor,
07:43 because I haven't seen him play enough.
07:44 But in my small sample size, it didn't really come across to me.
07:47 What I'm referring to is heart.
07:48 Being a dog.
07:49 Someone willing to step onto the court and rip your heart out.
07:52 That mentality and mindset has and will always be something I gravitate to.
07:56 And it can show itself in a variety of ways.
07:58 It doesn't necessarily need to be in the form of being loud or aggressive.
08:01 You can see it in the players eyes.
08:02 The way they approach the game.
08:03 Their demeanor.
08:04 That they'll do anything in their power to not lose.
08:06 They fear the pain of losing more than they look forward to the joy of winning.
08:09 Those are the players that go on to separate themselves.
08:11 And I just see that in Scoot Henderson.
08:13 And I have for a while.
08:14 Dating back to his sophomore year when I first saw him play at McEachern High School.
08:17 That look in his eye just reminded me a lot of the guys that I've filmed throughout the years who are now all in the NBA.
08:22 And not just in the NBA, but thriving.
08:24 And in my opinion, Scoot looks primed and ready to join them.
08:26 Alright, but I do want to end this video by saying that this is not a video to take a shot at Victor.
08:31 And I truly do wish the best for him.
08:32 If he goes on to be the number one pick, and he probably will,
08:35 and he turns out to be that all NBA player that everyone's expecting,
08:37 I'll gladly accept my freezing cold takes and eat that humble pie.
08:40 But then proceed to just sit back and appreciate the greatness that he's able to achieve.
08:43 The point of this video wasn't to convince people that Victor isn't this incredible prospect with immense upside.
08:48 But rather to delve into the reasons why I think Scoot is deserving of that number one pick, despite those things.
08:52 But alright guys, that's going to do it for this video.
08:54 I really do hope you enjoyed it.
08:56 I'm looking forward to making more videos like this in the future.
08:59 So if it is something you enjoyed, please go ahead and let me know by liking it or leaving me a comment.
09:04 And honestly just commenting topics and things that you want me to talk about.
09:08 With the NBA season now in full swing, I do anticipate being a lot more active with content like that.
09:13 And again, I do want to thank my sponsor for this video, SeatGeek.
09:16 Head over to the website, use my code, and take advantage of that promotion.
09:19 Like I've said before in the past, I appreciate all your guys' support.
09:22 And I hope you guys continue to support myself and the channel and the growth of this brand.
09:25 I'll see you guys in the next one.
09:27 [Outro Music]