It appears Victor Wembanyama has some competition to be the No. 1 overall draft pick, even if Scoot Henderson is the only one who believes it.
“I think I have the ability to go No. 1,” Henderson said in a Wednesday interview at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, according to The Athletic. “I believe in myself as any competitor should.”
That means, from Henderson’s perspective, joining the Spurs as the No. 1 overall pick won’t be a far-fetched thought leading up to the first round of the draft June 23, even if all reports point to Wembanyama becoming the latest prospect from France to join San Antonio’s franchise.
During his interview in Chicago, Henderson also pitched to reporters — and, really, indirectly to the Trail Blazers — that he could work alongside Damian Lillard in Portland, meaning that the Trail Blazers star doesn’t necessarily need to request a trade or be opposed to a young player joining the organization.
“I think I’d work out over there as well,” Henderson said. “I don’t have to be ball dominant. When my time comes, I’ll kill.”
The Post’s Zach Braziller pegged Henderson to the Trail Blazers as the No. 3 overall pick in his first NBA mock draft following the lottery, with Wembanyama joining the Spurs and Brandon Miller joining the Hornets at No. 2 overall.
Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 prospect from France, celebrated the lottery results with family and called it a “really special moment I’m going to remember for the rest of my life.”
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He and the 19-year-old Henderson faced each other in two October exhibitions between the G League Ignite and the Metropolitans 92 of France, which Wembanyama played for.
Wembanyama scored 37 points in the first game, connecting on seven 3-pointers while also blocking five shots and grabbing four rebounds.
Then, he added 36 points in the second exhibition to help the Metropolitans 92 erase a 16-point deficit to defeat the G League Ignite.
Henderson scored 28 points in the opener, but he exited early in the second game as a precaution after colliding with Wembanyama, according to the Associated Press.
“It’s very, very special for France,” Metropolitans 92 coach Vincent Collet said following the exhibitions about Wembanyama and his chance to go No. 1 overall. “Not only for France. He has huge potential. He’s a huge talent.”
With the G League Ignite in 2022-23, Henderson averaged 16.5 points, 6.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game.
