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Welcoming the Rookies
Welcoming the Rookies. �With the first pick in the 2023 NSL draft, the Indiana Pacers select Victor Wembenyana!� With the first pick in the draft, the Indy front office went ahead and got their cornerstone of the future in 7�4, 230lb big man Victor Wembanaya from France. The tantalizing prospect has already been called the greatest prospect in the history of sports, let alone basketball. With having spent the last couple years playing in the french leagues with averages of 21ppg, 10rpg, 2.4apg and 3bpg, the frenchman won multiple rewards playing overseas with the Metropolitan 92s. Wemby figures to come in and start day one next to future frontcourt teammate of the future Jabari Smith JR, who made first team all rookie this past season in the NSL. Those two will be paired with star forward Brandon Ingram, who will soon be coming over in a trade with PHX that will have us saying goodbye to KAT. Vic is a future perennial star in this league, with multiple awards down the road for him. The hope is to one day, sooner rather than later, win an NSL championship with him leading the way. With the Pacers second first rd pick in the draft, at number 21, they went ahead and drafted Duke wing Dariq Whitehead. Considered by man a top ten pick at the start of the collegiate season, whitehead is an ideal wing player in todays league, at 6�7 215, whitehead projects to be an above average 3pt shooter and scorer in the league, coming in with a whooping 43% 3pt percentage. Unfortunately, whitehead fell this far do to an injury riddled season that ended up him getting surgery near the end of it. Projected on track, whitehead looks to be fully healthy come season start, and the front office hopes that his size and shooting can provide and impact off the bench come day one, granted hes 100% healthy by then. Last but not least, the Indy Gm and front office had their eye on a certain second round prospect for awhile, and thanks to a last second draft night trade, they got him. With a draft night trade with the philadelphia 76ers, the Indiana pacers got the 42 pick in the draft and selected highschool Phenom Emoni Bates. Bates, once considered the top prospect in this draft class just a few years ago, had a hard fall in the draft after an unfortunate freshman year at memphis, then transferring to Eastern michigan near his home, and had a great season their. But eastern michigan was also considered one of the worst teams in collegiate basketball this past season. Bates had a solid combine showing and since being drafted, has improved greatly in everything throughout each game in the summer league. It may be a year or two before Bates is truly ready to join the big leagues, but hes the kind of prospect you take a swing on, and in just a few short years, could end up being the steal of the draft. When asked about this years draft class and each player, the Indy GM had this to say. �This years class for us is spectacular. Obviously you have Wemby, generational talent who�s gonna play a major part in who we are and will be our defensive anchor. Him and Jabari will be a handful on the defensive end and offensive end. Whitehead is gonna be a key part of our offense. His ability to shoot will draw out defensive from the inside, opening up the paint for our bigs to work and others to drive in. but thats just part of his game, he can also drive, pass, defend, his all around game is too good and we feel we are lucky he fell to us. As for Bates, hes a former gatorade player of the year and a massive upside talent. The rest of the league will regret passing on him and we see Emoni as much of a part of our future here as anyone.� Things are looking up in indiana, with three talented prospects, a solid surrounding core with a star young player already on it, and two more star players coming in via trade, this team is primed to make run after run for years to come.
