2023 NBA draft stock watch: Wembanyama's development, Scoot's uneven start and why the college season lacks some intrigue

The 2022-23 college basketball season is here and so is the first stock watch for June's NBA draft. The top three players in the eyes of ESPN NBA draft expert Jonathan Givony -- France's Victor Wembanyama, the G League Ignite's Scoot Henderson and Overtime Elite's Amen Thompson -- won't play a second of college basketball this season. But there are plenty of talented prospects who will suit up for your favorite college in what's projected to be another deep draft class.

Givony provides the latest on Wembanyama's development for French team Metropolitans 92 and Henderson's first two regular-season games of 2022-23 for the Ignite after the two wowed basketball fans with their performances last month in Las Vegas. In addition, ESPN has been at practices and scrimmages across the country in recent weeks to get a first look at a number of prospects, including Amen and Ausar Thompson, and freshmen Nick Smith (Arkansas), Keyonte George (Baylor) and Dillon Mitchell (Texas).

The Wembanyama train rolls on

Wembanyamania hit its peak with a pair of exhilarating October performances against the Ignite. The 7-foot-4 super prospect posted 73 points in 70 minutes with a breathtaking display of shot-making, ballhandling, shot-blocking and passing unlike anything we've ever seen before.

Wembanyama hasn't missed a beat since returning to France. He is producing steadily, as his Metropolitans 92 team has won four straight games (6-1 overall) and is second in the LNB Pro A, proving his extraordinary talent translates to winning, something that is rare for an 18-year-old at this level of competition. Wembanyama isn't only leading his team, he is emerging as the most productive player in the entire league, ranking second in scoring, third in rebounding, first in blocks and fifth in usage rate.

Unsurprisingly, Wembanyama is playing a different style of basketball in France than what scouts saw against the Ignite in Las Vegas, something his coach, Vincent Collet, said is expected considering the shorter 3-point line and increased physicality of the European game.

"Defense is different [in the United States]," Collet said. "He has more room in the G League game. And probably the referees are protecting more. Sometimes they grab him in France [making a bear hug motion with arms]. So that's something special that didn't happen [in Las Vegas]. I don't think he has to play to make seven 3s each game."

Towering over opponents, we've seen Wembanyama look more assertive, utilizing his size and physicality operating with his back to the basket, where he shows an extremely high skill level and is big enough to simply shoot over virtually any defender with unstoppable turnaround jumpers. While Wembanyama's perimeter shooting, fluidity pushing off the defensive glass and handling in pick-and-roll and isolation situations generate some of his most notable highlights, the footwork, fluidity, dexterity and touch he shows in the post also is encouraging considering his propensity to shy away from contact in the past.

Wembanyama still drops glimpses of the same incredible talent he displayed in Las Vegas, having the freedom to push the ball the length of the floor, reject ball screens or shoot coming off pindowns or one-legged jumpers -- things that are unheard of and simply mesmerizing for a player his size. He hasn't been quite as consistent with his outside shot -- 11-for-33 from 3 in France as compared to 9-for-18 against the Ignite -- but part of that is due to difficult attempts, the amount of defensive attention he draws every game and some regression to the mean after a scorching 7 for 11 performance in one of the Ignite games in Vegas.

Defensively, Wembanyama is similarly a game-changer, anchoring the French league's stingiest defense (101.4 points per 100 possessions). Though his presence alone deters opposing teams from challenging him in the paint, he still leads the league in blocks.

His 8-foot wingspan not only protects the rim, it allows him to recover when he is beat off the perimeter. He is intelligent defending ball screens, exhibits impressive poise and patience staying on his feet and avoids silly fouls, showing great hands swiping down for deflections and steals, which is part of the reason his team leads the league in turnovers generated.

The one area scouts want to see him improve is with his physicality on the defensive glass, where he still gets pushed around. Still, it's difficult not to be impressed by how much he has upgraded his intensity level from years past.

Next for Wembanyama will be a fascinating change of jerseys as he receives a call-up to represent the French national team for the first time at the senior level in a pair of FIBA World Cup qualifying games. France will play a challenging road game in Lithuania on Nov. 11, one of the top teams in Europe, followed by a home game on Nov. 14 against Bosnia and Herzegovina. These matchups will offer scouts yet another opportunity to see Wembanyama play in a new and different setting, something that should only add to the significant experience he already is garnering prior to being the inevitable No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft.

A mixed bag for the G League Ignite's Henderson

Scoot Henderson, the projected No. 2 pick in the draft, had a productive stat line in his regular-season debut with 25 points and seven assists. But he wasn't able to help the Ignite avoid blowing a 29-point first-half lead and losing their home opener. His shot selection left something to be desired, as he was baited into difficult midrange jumpers all game long by Oklahoma City's deep drop defense, hitting just four of his 12 pull-up 2s and not attempting a single 3-pointer. He was able to draw 10 fouls, though, some of which appeared fortuitous, but he wasn't able to control the tempo of the game as effectively as he did in the Ignite's opening game against Wembanyama's Metropolitans 92, during which he looked far more aggressive getting out in the open floor and attacking the basket in the half court.

Defensively, Henderson showed some flashes, fighting over screens and generating turnovers both on and off the ball with his quick feet, strong frame and long arms. But he often was sleepy off the ball, not always maintaining his intensity, especially when things weren't going his way offensively.

Henderson's second game of the season on Sunday was similarly a mixed bag, as he needed 28 shots to score 25 points and made some critical mistakes down the stretch that played a role in his team coughing up a late lead and losing a 120-119 heartbreaker to Salt Lake City.

Henderson's best moments looked all-star caliber. When he is at his best, he is using his terrific ballhandling ability and explosive change of gears to get into the paint and either finish with creativity or dish off to teammates after moving the defense. He threw in several good-looking pull-up jumpers, had a few incredible highlights in the open court and played a strong game defensively, using his frame, quick feet and hands to generate plenty of turnovers and looking much improved in that area from last season.

Henderson's decision-making in the half court is still very much a work in progress -- not a shock considering he is an 18-year-old leading a group of mostly draft-eligible players against veteran professionals. With Salt Lake City shrinking the floor late and daring him to shoot jumpers, Henderson had some wild moments forcing the issue and coming up empty when his team needed a bucket, surprisingly causing the Ignite to put the ball in the hands of teammate Sidy Cissoko during their crucial final possession.

Overall, Henderson showed his substantial talent against players significantly older than him without even playing all that well by his standards. It was yet another indication of how much long-term upside he possesses. The gap between him and Wembanyama looks considerable at the moment, and scouts will want to see Henderson help a very young Ignite team win some games in the G League if he is to hold off the likes of Amen Thompson, Nick Smith and others from the No. 2 spot in the draft.

College season tips this week

With the draft's top three projected prospects currently playing in France, the G League and Overtime Elite, respectively, the amount of intrigue revolving around the tipoff of college basketball isn't quite as high for NBA scouts this year as in years past.

It doesn't help that most college teams start their season with soft, nonconference schedules, meaning it won't be until closer to Thanksgiving week when we'll get several high-profile tournaments, including the Battle 4 Atlantis, Phil Knight's PK-85 and the Maui Invitational, to truly give us a gauge of where things stand in the college ranks among the draft's best prospects. Two potential top-10 picks in Dariq Whitehead (Duke) and Cam Whitmore are injured but could return in time for Thanksgiving.

In the meantime, we crisscrossed the country in recent weeks to watch many college basketball teams practice or play exhibition games, including Duke, Arkansas, Houston, Baylor, Gonzaga, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Southern California and Pepperdine.

Smith, Keyonte George, Dillon Mitchell, Jarace Walker, Anthony Black and Julian Phillips are some of the prospects we got to watch in a live setting, in addition to Amen and Ausar Thompson, who we covered in detail last month after attending the OTE Pro Day.

NBA scouts and executives will congregate in Indianapolis on Nov. 15 for the Champions Classic that will pit Kentucky vs. Michigan State and Duke vs. Kansas, serving as the unofficial launch to the college basketball season after a mostly mediocre opening week.

International update

James Nnaji | 6-foot-10 | C | Age: 18.2 | Barcelona

Competing at a higher level than any prospect in this draft class, minutes haven't always been easy to come by for Nnaji in the EuroLeague and Spanish ACB with Barcelona, one of the best teams in European basketball. After not playing in many of its first games, the past five contests have seen a steady uptick in opportunities for Nnaji (averaging 13 minutes), which has coincided with small but steady improvement that has to be considered promising for NBA scouts monitoring his progress as he enters his first year of draft eligibility.

Nnaji is one of the most physically gifted players in this class, blessed with a chiseled frame even by NBA standards and quickness covering ground and getting off his feet for offensive rebounds, dunks and blocks. While those areas constitute the bulk of his intrigue and are highly in demand for a role-playing center tasked with anchoring a defense and finishing plays after being spoon-fed around the basket, he has shown some minor flashes to suggest there's more there.

Nnaji had several strong drives in a EuroLeague game against Milan last week that you wouldn't expect to see from a raw big man in his mold, taking former NBA player Brandon Davies off the dribble from beyond the 3-point line and finishing with an impressive slow-down move after getting to the rim off a single dribble thanks to his long, powerful strides. He also has utilized shot fakes, flip shots and off-hand hooks that weren't in his repertoire at this point last season. And he has made some simple passes out of the post, which is encouraging to see considering how limited he was previously.

Nnaji still crushes the rim every time he catches the ball in the vicinity of the basket with his incredible power elevating off two feet. And he is a major presence setting screens and rolling to the rim out of the pick-and-roll, even if he isn't quite as reliable catching lobs considering his projected role due to his just decent hands and awareness tracking balls in the air.

He still has a long way to go before he can be considered a real offensive player -- as evidenced by his career 44% free throw rate, which hasn't improved this season. He is very mistake-prone at times, being called for moving screens, blatant push-offs and other unforced errors. And it's generally an adventure anytime he needs to make a decision with the ball, so we'll have to see how his recent uptick in productivity translates for the rest of the season.

Where Nnaji could be special is on the defensive end; he makes a huge impact with his combination of length, strength and mobility, especially switching onto guards on the perimeter, sliding his feet and being extremely difficult to shoot over. He turns his hips exceptionally well to cover ground, get back into plays and protect the rim, averaging an excellent 3.3 blocks per 40 minutes in the EuroLeague and ACB, which makes him one of the best players in both leagues in that category so far this season. He has room to grow here too, especially with his reaction time, technique and processing speed, which at times put him behind on plays both in getting schooled one-on-one by older and wilier players and being late and out of position more than you'd like to see off the ball. He is not a good defensive rebounder and is a little more mistake-prone than you'd like, but the intensity he plays with, the exceptional physical ability he possesses and the way he covers ground and gets off his feet for blocks already makes him a significant deterrent at this level of competition, which is extremely impressive considering his lack of experience.

Overall, Nnaji seems to be making slow but steady progress, and it's no surprise he is seeing an uptick in minutes considering the way he impacts the game on both ends of the floor. There are only a handful of players in this draft who would have a chance to see playing time for Barcelona coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and hold their own in the highly tactical EuroLeague and ACB, and it's certainly possible that the more unscripted and free-flowing NBA game could actually suit Nnaji much better.

Rupert has solidified his credentials as a potential lottery pick in the Australian NBL by playing an important role in fueling his New Zealand Breakers squad to a 6-3 start that is good for second place and already helping his team win more games than it did all of last season. Unfortunately, Rupert suffered a broken wrist this weekend that will keep him off the court for at least six weeks and might halt the momentum he has built over the past few months.

Rupert often starts and/or finishes games and has been an essential part of the Breakers' league-best defense, pressuring opposing point guards the length of the floor and disrupting the opponents' offensive flow with his 7-foot-3 wingspan. After shooting 10-for-16 from 3 in the preseason Australian Blitz, Rupert's jump shot has been streaky since (4-for-20 from 3), and he has similarly struggled to score efficiently inside the arc.

Nevertheless, his impact on film clearly exceeds what is suggested by the box score. That the 18-year-old has been able to carve out an important role at a high level of competition while still making enough offensive contributions to stay on the floor is a very good sign for his future. None of his predecessors in the Next Stars program (Josh Giddey, LaMelo Ball, Ousmane Dieng, R.J. Hampton) was able to contribute to winning the way Rupert has in the NBL.

Fortunately for the injured Rupert, he hit the ground running in New Zealand and built a strong body of work in his first 12 games for NBA teams to study, although the fact that scouts won't be able to evaluate his progress as a shooter as the season progresses isn't ideal.

The Spanish point guard has carved out a strong role for German and EuroCup squad Ratiopharm Ulm, establishing himself as one of the best young passers in European basketball while dishing out an impressive 8.2 assists per 40 minutes. Few players in the world share Nunez's ability to manipulate defenses with elite reads and laser passes off a live dribble to either side of the court operating out of the pick-and-roll. He makes the game incredibly easy for teammates with the way he distributes outlets the length of the floor, makes touch passes and finds rollers using pocket or over-the-shoulder passes to the big man in full stride for easy finishes.

Nunez's jump shot, long considered a major weakness, has been off all season, as he has made just 2-for-16 3s and 41% of his 2-pointers. While his assists numbers are outstanding, his turnover rate is sky-high, as he is coughing the ball up on 30% of his possessions, one of the highest rates of any player in any league in the world. His defense also is a concern. But Nunez turned 18 in June, and he is younger than many high school five-star recruits. Nunez still sees quite a few minutes late in games on a team that is 2-2 in the EuroCup and 2-5 in Germany, but he will need to improve his efficiency to maintain his standing in Ulm's rotation considering the slow start.

After missing much of the preseason with a throat infection, Djurisic suffered a knee sprain that caused him to miss several games with Serbian team KK Mega MIS, which has started the season 1-5 in the Adriatic League. Djurisic will be back for his team's next game in two weeks after the FIBA window concludes, and he will try to dig his team out of the hole it is in, which puts Mega MIS in danger of being relegated to the Adriatic League's second division next season if it can't recover.

Senegalese big man Ndiaye's season is underway in Spain, and while the level of the third division might be low, it's difficult not to be intrigued by the skill level and talent the 18-year-old displays. Sporting a frame reminiscent of a young Jaren Jackson Jr., Ndiaye's shot-making ability pulling up off the dribble or running off screens from deep vantage points is not easy to find from a player his size. But he is just 8-for-32 from 3 on the season and has struggled with the speed and physicality of the Spanish game, posting just two assists as compared with eight turnovers.

Ndiaye has intriguing potential defensively, covering ground on the perimeter and coming up with some impressive blocks, but his lack of experience and poor technique, along with the low level of competition he plays against, makes it difficult to fully evaluate his potential. NBA scouts are split on Ndiaye, with some saying they look at him as a five-star caliber high school recruit who would be generating significant intrigue if he were in the U.S., while others point to his lack of productivity and efficiency in the third division and state he is still many years away from helping an NBA team.