Victor Wembanyama vs. Scoot Henderson: Dates, TV Times and What to Watch as Top 2023 NBA Draft Prospects

The top two prospects in the 2023 NBA draft square off in two preseason games packed with NBA executives and scouts. Victor Wembanayma and Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 will take on Scoot Henderson and G League Ignite in Nevada on Tuesday 4th and Thursday 6th October just outside of Las Vegas. Both games will be televised on ESPN2. Check out the full 2023 NBA draft for a first look at this season’s top prospects.

Wembanayma is considered a generational prospect entering this draft. The 18-year-old Frenchman was measured at 7’4 barefoot with an 8-foot wingspan and is blessed with a rare athletic fluidity for his size. Wembanayma has historic potential as a defensive anchor who can block shots from anywhere on the floor and prevent otherwise easy looks from being attempted. In addition to his absurd length and speed, Wembanayma also possesses an emerging offensive skill set that includes smooth shooting from three-point range and flashes of being able to create his own looks. Read the full breakdown on what makes Wembanyama potentially the best NBA prospect since LeBron James.

Sterling “Scoot” Henderson is a 6’2 point guard from Atlanta who skipped high school and is being offered a two-year contract with G League Ignite, the NBA development program that produced lottery picks Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Dyson Daniels since launching two years ago. Henderson showed off his tantalizing combination of speed, power and downhill scoring ability on his Ignite debut last season. He’s a point guard in the Derrick Rose or John Wall mold: He has an incredible first step to pass his man in the half court, can finish at the basket with a combination of strength and agility, and will thrive immediately in transition. Henderson’s big weakness right now is his three-pointer.

This is shaping up to be a rare draft with possibly the top four prospects available all playing outside of college basketball. In addition to Wembanyama and Henderson, there are also the ultra-athletic Thompson twins who play in Overtime Elite. With Wembanyama and Henderson going head-to-head, we’re set for potentially the biggest scouting event of the 2023 NBA Draft in October.

Victor Wembanyama vs G League Ignite: What to Watch

This will be Wembanyama’s big introduction to American fans. He just needs to show all the physical traits that make him special and show the skill level that could take his game to historic levels.

Here are the highlights from Wembanyama vs Le Portel on September 30.

The Metropolitans are letting Wembanyama push the limits of his abilities instead of trying to win as many games as possible by relying on veterans. The 18-year-old big man drains threes, tries to create with the ball in his hands and carries a ton of responsibility defensively. We want to see how Wembanyama guards Henderson in the pick-and-roll—will he play a drop, come to the level of the screen, or be assigned the switch? We also want to see Wembanyama play with strength around the rim. His three-point shooting will also be under the microscope: Wembanyama loves to shoot three-pointers, and if he makes a couple, the internet will go crazy.

Scoot Henderson vs Victor Wembanyama: What to Watch

Wembanyama is projected as the top pick because of his ridiculous physical attributes, but Henderson would be a worthy No. 1 overall pick almost any other year. While we haven’t really seen anyone quite like Wembanyama, Henderson’s speed and power at the point guard position brings to mind so many of the great floor quarterbacks of the past 20 years. What we want to see from Henderson is a dominant performance that makes some people rethink the No. 1 overall pick.

Here are highlights from Henderson last year with G League Ignite.

We look forward to seeing how Henderson attacks Wembanyama going down. Henderson has never seen a rim protector like Webaniyama, and Webaniyama hasn’t seen a guard as athletic as Henderson. Will Henderson be able to finish through Wembanyama or will he find other angles to beat him around the rim? We also want to see where Henderson stands as a passer after averaging 3.6 assists per game last season. This year’s Ignite roster has more veteran shooters, which should help the spacing concerns from last season. Of course, everyone will want to see if Henderson can pick up and make threes, especially when Wembanyama sinks under screens.

G League Ignite vs. Metropolitans 92 roster

Find the G League Ignite roster here. The team has six prospects it is developing this season, along with a group of veterans on the roster. Here are the prospects:

G Scoot Henderson

G Mojave King

G/F Sidy Cissoko

F Leonard Miller

C Efe Abogidis

G London Johnson

Here is the Metropolitans 92 roster. In addition to center Wembanyama, the Metropolitans 92 also have former Boston Celtics guard Tremont Waters, former Michigan State wing Aaron Henry, and Bucks draft pick Hugo Besson.

Victor Wembanyama vs Scoot Henderson Quotes

These two are not mutually exclusive:

Victor Wembanyama vs Scoot Henderson and G League Ignite: Dates, Game Times, TV & Stream Info

Game: Metropolitans 92 vs. G League Ignite

Marquee players: Victor Wembanyama (Metropolitans 92) and Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite)

Game 1 date, time and TV: October 4 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and the NBA app

Game 2 date, time and tv: October 6 at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and the NBA app

Drift: Watch ESPN and NBA app