This Friday was played the first day of Betclic Elite. Three matches including the huge victory of the BCM Gravelines versus… Victor Wembanyama. However, the prospect defended himself well in a register that we did not yet know about him, namely that of “Give him the swell and let him do it!” ». Shouldn’t be called Guardiola to lose 12 at Sportica.
“Maybe that was why, after all”. A series of several months, brushed with a wind of stupor, incomprehension, judgment around the choice of Victor Wembanyama. How is it that the projected n°1 of the Draft 2023 has traded the comfort of ASVEL, double champion of France in title engaged in the Euroleague, for the project of the Metropolitans 92? This Friday at Sportica, the law of the prosecution probably proved him right. Vincent Collet’s group lost where it should have won, reaffirming last season’s hierarchy from the start of the season. For the collective failure therefore, we will come back. From the point of view that many will keep this season, centered around Victor Wembanyama’s 2m21 (without shoes), the results are quite different. The French prospect took 23 shots and scored 23 points. It’s not crazy, but it’s very good. Our antithesis is torn between the French way of seeing things, namely that the Metropolitans 92 will never be able to aspire to the upper part of the table by spinning all their balls at Vico. The French championship is far too “briscardized” – and good – for that. And then there’s the NBA way of seeing things: Victor Wembanyama slammed 23 points and recovered 10 rebounds (including 7 offensive!) from the first game of his last season on French soil. Finally audacity and nerve from a local prospect.
Victor Wembanyama looked like the No. 1 pick in the draft with a 23 point, 10 rebound, 3 block performance in his French season opener, including several jaw-dropping plays. Such a smooth, fluid mover at 7’5. pic.twitter.com/T7SKKZzeeB
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) September 23, 2022
If we were Vincent Collet – coach of the Metropolitans 92 since the summer of 2021 – this setback would not necessarily result in forty-two liters of concern. For the first match of the 2021-22 season, the Ile-de-France residents had already eaten 20 points from Le Mans. However, he will have to find a happy medium between doing « shiner » Victor Wembanyama and get 100% from the rest of his rotation, full of great players like Lahaou Konate, DeVante Jones or Bandja Sy. Without forgetting one of the pillars of French YouTube, Hugo Besson, author of 11 points at 5/12 shooting and 4 assists last night. We still see a huge margin for improvement in the structure of his offensive sequences. In Australia, under the New Zealand Breakers label, Hugo found himself perfectly in the Americanized game and his ends of possession in iso. But here it is the cities of France narvalo: the European game is more cadenced, the space at the exit of pick-and-roll is reduced and, consequently, the time of reflection too. Are in a hurry that between Vico, Hugo and all the elders, the mayonnaise takes. Without excusing it, this setback is not bitter. A somewhat sluggish start, but already great prospects for the “project”.
Next date to tick in the calendar, Tuesday September 27 for the reception of Pau-Lacq Orthez and the 33 points at 12/21 in Victor’s shot. Optimists? Boarf, he plays moderately well and still slaps 23 on a team of old sea dogs. Some will undoubtedly pay a higher bill.