Victor Wembanyama leads the Metropolitans 92 to the semifinals of the LNB Pro A Playoffs
Four weeks have passed since the NBA draft and prospective number one pick, Victor Wembanyama, is still playing meaningful and competitive basketball in France. Wembanyama led his French team, Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92, in an Elimination Match 3 win over Cholet and advanced to the LNB Pro A semi-finals where Wembanyama meet his old team, ASVEL, in a best-of-five series becomes.
Wembanyama was impressive, playing 33 minutes in the 81-69 win over Cholet on his home court, while Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert watched the playoff game from the sidelines. Wembanyama led his team with 19 points and added 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks. Teammate and former Michigan guard DeVante’ Jones added 15 points, while Lahaou Konaté and TaShawn Thomas added 14 points each.
The 7-foot-4 jack-of-all-trades had a quiet first half, not attempting a single shot from 3-point range while the Mets 92 held a comfortable 18-point lead early in the third quarter. In the second half, he seemed hesitant behind the archway and only attempted a stepback 3 pointer, which he missed. He shone in midfield and had incredible touch on the edge when the defense collapsed.
Cholet made it into single digits with seven minutes remaining but was unable to fight back as Wembanyama and Jones converted free throws later on.
Wembanyama and teammate Bilal Coulibaly are two of the only draft contenders with a month to go before the June 22 NBA draft. Coulibaly, a 6-6 shooting guard with a 7-1 wingspan, is starting to come alive in the playoffs, stringing together a couple of good plays in the previous game with a putback dunk and a hard corner 3 with a defender to the face.
The extra games will give NBA scouts additional time to evaluate the young guard (just 18 years old), whose draft stock is increasing by the middle of the first round.
“Historically there is a connection between youth and advancement,” an NBA scout told Yahoo Sports in March. “You expect disagreements at 19 or 20, but the combination of youth and production is the best case scenario. Youth in general indicates upside.”
The Mets 92 went into the LNB Pro A Playoffs with a 23-11 record and were the No. 2 pick in the playoffs. The semifinals begin on Sunday against ASVEL.
Wembanyama continues to dream of winning a Pro-A championship before moving up to the NBA. He’s currently averaging 20 points and 10.5 rebounds in the postseason and will have a tough streak against ASVEL.
LNB Pro A Playoffs
WHO: Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 vs ASVEL
What: semifinals
Game 1: May 28, 9:15 am ET
Game 2: May 30, 2:30 p.m. ET
Game 3: June 2, 12:00 p.m. ET
Game 4: June 4, TBD (if necessary)
Game 5: June 7, TBD (if necessary)
Final: 11-20 June
