By this time next year, star basketball prospect Victor Wembanyama will likely be in the NBA.
A lot can change before then, and it’s still a total mystery which team will land the 18-year-old. But, actor Michael Douglas knows which team he hopes will win the Wembanyama sweepstakes: the Miami Heat.
“He moves beautifully,” Douglas said. “… I wish him the best.”
Douglas then continued talking about the talented prospect and said he would be his first pick in the draft.
“I don’t think they have a chance,” said Douglas regarding the Heat after revealing he’s a Heat fan. “I told Victor, ‘You should go to Florida.'”
While landing Wembanyama would be quite the consolation prize for the Heat if their disappointing season were to continue, it doesn’t seem likely to happen.
This season, Wembanyama is averaging 23.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.8 blocks per game for Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92. He’s shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 28.8 percent from deep.
At 7-foot-2, the youngster has the potential to become a force in the NBA in nearly every aspect of the game. He’ll make one team very happy in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Miami should probably stay focused on the 2022-23 season, as the team still has a chance to dig itself out of the hole it’s in. The Heat are 2-4 over their last six games and have fallen to 12-15 on the season.
The franchise is no stranger to overcoming slow starts. In the 2020-21 season, the Heat were 11-17 through 28 games, and they were under .500 as late as 47 games into the season.
The squad was able to turn things around and ultimately finished with a 40-32 record, making the playoffs before bowing out in the first round.
Perhaps the 2022-23 Heat will follow a similar path. The odds of Miami finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference for a second consecutive season are very low at this point, but that doesn’t mean the team is incapable of gaining momentum and climbing in the standings.
A win streak would do the Heat a lot of good right now. They’re currently 10th in the East, but they’re also just two games back of a playoff spot.
The team is about to start a four-game road trip that will feature games against some iffy opponents. Time will tell if Miami can take advantage.