10 players most likely to succeed from 2023 NBA Draft

2: Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite) – Portland Trail Blazers

You’ve been living under a rock if you haven’t heard of Scoot Henderson yet. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and shot 43 percent with the G League Ignite last season. Henderson will now make his way to Rip City, where we can expect him to boost their backcourt, which contains Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons.

The Trail Blazers have lacked consistent guard play since shooting guard CJ McCollum was dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans. They finally gain that one-two punch back they have been seeking with the addition of Scoot Henderson, who will quickly become a fan favorite in Portland and may even transition the Blazers back to being occasional playoff contenders.

1: Victor Wembanyama (Metropolitans 92) – San Antonio Spurs

You could say Victor Wembanyama has some pretty big shoes to fill in San Antonio. The 7-foot-4 forward with an 8-foot wingspan became the third first-overall pick by the Spurs, joining David Robinson and Tim Duncan. The French phenom was emotional as he graced the Barclays Center stage on Thursday night and shook the hand of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

Basketball fans worldwide aren’t just learning Wembanyama’s name for the first time this week; he became an international talent leading the Metropolitans 92 to the French LNB Pro A League finals this season and was the league’s MVP. During the regular season, he averaged a league-best 20.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game.

All eyes will be on the Spurs next season, who will rely on their incoming talent to find success; however, this isn’t the first time legendary coach Greg Popovich will have to mentor a star player in Alamo City.