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As towering San Antonio rookie Victor Wembanyama rapidly moves towards dominating the NBA, scouts are combing the world for a “Wemby stopper”.
Wembanyama’s 224-centimetre frame and 244cm wingspan, combined with his strong shooting and feel for the game, makes him the most hyped rookie in the NBA since LeBron James’ arrival in 2003.
NBA rookie Victor Wembanyama shoots a three-point shot over Kevin Durant.Credit: Getty Images
One commentator on social media tweeted that NBA teams had a maximum of three years to “get right with their maker” before Wembanyama takes over, while Slam Magazine’s San Antonio-based writer Shea Serrano described his size and skill as having “no precedent, only amalgamations like if you mixed Hakeem Olajuwon and Kevin Durant or a fighter jet with a jaguar”.
He is already dunking from preposterous positions and influencing games as his Spurs knocked off Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns earlier this week.
With the reality matching the hype, NBA scouts are in Australia and looking at the NBL where two young stars are staking their claims to step up and become an NBA “Wemby stopper”.
The scouts are tracking the NBL’s Next Stars players ahead of next year’s NBA draft, and two who are catching the eye are Perth’s 215-centimentre Frenchman Alexandre Sarr and Melbourne United’s 213cm German centre Ariel Hukporti.
Melbourne United centre Ariel Hukporti.Credit: Getty Images
United coach Dean Vickerman has had scouts from the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz visit in the past week while 40 scouts attended the NBL Blitz pre-season tournament on the Gold Coast last month.
Vickerman hopes Hukporti, who has returned stronger after rupturing his Achilles last season, will be looked at by NBA scouts desperate to fortify their sides against Wembanyama in coming years.
“The guys are coming through and everyone is kind of telling us that they are not sleeping on Ariel, they love the progress he is making,” Vickerman said.
“I keep talking to Ariel about how everyone is looking for a ‘Wemby stopper’ right now, so can he be good enough defensively to go against the future of the game?
“We’ve had a bit of fun with him about that. We think that right now he is in calculations for defensive player of the year, he has the best defensive rating in the league, he’s protecting the rim, he’s challenging shots and doing a lot of things right.
“That is where we want him and if that is the chance to get him to the NBA, being the best defender in this league, then we hope it does.”
Sarr and Hukporti will hit the court at John Cain Arena on Monday night when United host Perth in their annual Melbourne Cup eve game.
Hukporti is athletic and long with a knack for rebounding, shot blocking and strong defence. While he’s not as tall as Wembanyama, his reach, jump and defensive timing has the potential to make things difficult for NBA level players.
Perth big man Alexandre Sarr.Credit: Getty Images
Sarr is projected to go as high as the top five in the NBA draft, and his agility and wing span are close to his fellow Frenchman.
He rocketed into discussions for the first pick in next year’s draft after starring for the Wildcats against the NBA’s G-League Ignite team during pre-season games in Las Vegas.
“It’s interesting how this has caught fire, but it speaks volumes for how open this draft is,” Wildcats general manager Danny Mills told this masthead in September.
“In previous years there has been a group of four or five guys, last year it was just one guy [Wembanyama], but this year, speaking to a lot of NBA teams – I think it is a wide open draft.”
Sarr’s 226cm wing span, exceptional agility and three-point shooting touch will appeal to any NBA team looking for someone to battle Wembanyama in years to come and also guard smaller players.
Like Wembanyana, Sarr is French but they have taken different basketball paths with Sarr playing at Real Madrid, US development program Overtime Elite, and now Perth.
“It’s one of my best assets on the basketball court,” Sarr said when asked about his agility.
“I know I need to keep it 100, bring the energy, if I don’t, if I just stand there, then I will be a liability. So I always try to keep a high motor and be impactful on defence.”
Sarr, whose brother Olivier plays with Australian star Josh Giddey’s Oklahoma City Thunder, said his brother’s battles to make the NBA had shown him how tough things can be if you don’t become a first-round pick.
“I’ve learned a lot from him,” Sarr said. “He’s been where I want to go to, so I’m following in his footsteps and he’s given me so much advice that I couldn’t name just one thing – he helps me with everything I do and watch my game and helps break it down for me.
“It’s definitely motivation as for me as I’ve seen both sides. I’ve seen what it takes, what it feels like to be undrafted and have to work your way to a roster and that definitely motivates me to work hard and play my hardest every time I’m on the court.”
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