On May 16, the NBA Lottery will take place. The 2023 Lottery, an event already identified as one of the most important in recent NBA history, because it is on this day that we will know which franchise will be able to select first in the Draft, on June 22 . It is therefore on that day that we will know, quite logically, which team could draft Victor Wembanyama, a French phenomenon over 2m20 that even your aunt talks about during Sunday meals.
Is it too early to talk about it? Maybe. So are we going to talk about it every day from now on? Obviously. And to get to the heart of the matter, here is a small projection of the 2023-24 season, imagining what Victor Wembanyama could give in… the 30 League franchises. For some it’s utopia, for others it’s quite possible and it’s even the project, but no jealousy so we’re talking about everyone. Today ? We go into New Orleans Pelicans mode, a franchise that would automatically become NBA champion with the great Vic in its ranks.
Practical links
The current situation of the Pelicans
One of the franchises with the most stylish roster in the NBA, and whose potential is the most talked about. The Anthony Davis era is far behind, a Conference semi-final on the CV, and today a new project has emerged, carried by the beast Zion Williamson, the freak Brandon Ingram, the experienced CJ McCollum, child-eater Jonas Valanciunas and a whole bunch of intrepid kids. Defeated by the Suns in the first round of the Playoffs in 2022, the Pels have ambition, in the short and especially in the medium term, and all the gear available seems sufficient to see far ahead.
The projected (and highly idealized) five major if Victor Wembanyama moves to New Orleans this summer
- C.J. McCollum
- Herb Jones
- Brandon Ingram
- Victor Wembanyama
- Zion Williamson
Instead, aim for the wingspan of the five. Apart from CJ McCollum we are clearly on the extraterrestrial in all corners of the floor, and be careful because on the bench Trey Murphy, Naji Marshall and potentially Jaxson Hayes do not give their share to the dog at arm’s length. We add Jose Alvarado or Devonte ‘Graham in the lot, we sprinkle everything with the very young Dyson Daniels but very clearly it is especially the frontcourt above which exceeds understanding in terms of offensive firepower. Certainly one of the squads for whom the arrival of Victor would be a blessing with an immediate ring in the sights, a hype unfortunately inversely proportional to the chances of seeing the giant land in the bayou.
Sportingly? How can we not imagine Wemby taking advantage of the spaces offered by the beast Zion, the two of them also offering such a complementary palette that we drool a little just by writing it. Willie Green on the bench, it’s been all good since his arrival a year ago, it even seems that he’s as good as a nanny as a strategist, and the only downside ultimately lies in the fact that NOLA doesn’t have today there is no real manager capable of teaching Vic the benefits of a 1-5 cordial agreement. But overall we salivate, and we salivate very hard.
A place for Victor to visit
Let’s be crazy and start with two tourism tips. 1) Impossible not to send Victor in the direction of the French quarter, since we remember that New Orleans is a city historically attached to France because of its colonial past. Impossible not to feel at home in NOLA, in Big Easy, yeah the city has plenty of nicknames, and so we suggest for a little more change of scenery to go for a walk on the banks of the Mississippi, just to feel all the smell of a very heavy history, become aware of his time and, a little more relaxed from the underpants, imagine swinging pebbles with Tom Sawyer while trying to escape the terrible Joe the Indian.
Scenario probability: 5%
Probability table for the draft lottery
In view of the start of the 2022-23 season? It is more with the pick… of the Lakers that the Pels could top the jackpot in the Draft. Indeed, the Pels have since the trade of Anthony Davis a pick swap in 2023, ie if the pick of the Lakers is higher than theirs… the Pelicans recover it. Early November is a bit of a disaster in Los Angeles but nothing indicates that the season of LeBron James and co. will be completely rinsed, but know that if it were to happen after any rage in Hollywood, it is therefore the Louisiana franchise which would recover the timpani.
So much for this New Orleans Pelicans edition of our great series dedicated to Victor Wembanyama’s Draft. Yeah, seven months before the Draft. And you, would you like to see it land where the big Vic?