"Dude from France that's tearing up the world" - Stephen A. Smith believes Victor Wembanyama will get reality check coming to NBA

With the 2023 NBA Draft set to start later today, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith was vocal on "The Stephen A. Smith Show" as he spoke about the excitement surrounding Victor Wembanyama.

The analyst, though, reckons the Frenchman would be found out in the NBA due to his frail physique, calling him a potential 'bust'. He elaborated:

"I'm incredibly happy about the fact that after tomorrow night, I no longer get to hear about Victor Wembanyama," Smith said. "This is the 7-foot-5 dude from France that's tearing up the world.

"I don't suspect he's going to be a bust. When you're that thin and you're going up against the big boys in the National Basketball Association, it's a different animal."

Wembanyama's highlights started getting media attention and traction on social media, and he has been in numerous headlines since then.

The upside is obviously there for a 7' 2" athlete with perimeter shooting and can also play defense. However, the media have concerns regarding his frame, as he's about to enter the NBA.

Despite the league being more offense-driven over the years, it's still composed of some of the most toughest and imposing players to have played the game. With the assumption that Wembanyama is selected No. 1 overall by the San Antonio Spurs, the Spurs land a promising talent whom they can build around.

For Smith, though, he has his reservations about Wembanyama and isn't getting too caught up in all of the excitement. He prefers to see him go up against NBA competition first before being all in on him.

During his segment on "The Stephen A. Smith Show," he noted that he's keeping his eyes on Scoot Henderson. Despite the anticipation surrounding Wembanyama, Smith prefers Henderson's upside, as the latter oozes versatility on the court.

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Victor Wembanyama's stats compared to Scoot Henderson's

With Scoot Henderson projected to be selected by third by the Portland Trail Blazers, here's a look at his stats stack up compared to Victor Wembanyama.

During the 2022-23 season with the G-League Ignite, Henderson averaged 16.5 points per game (42.9% shooting, including 27.5% from the 3-point range), 6.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama with the Metropolitans 92 during the 2022-23 season, averaged 21.6 ppg (47.0% shooting, including 27.5% from the 3-point range) and 10.4 rpg.

Wembanyama has the bigger stats in points and rebounds, as he's a 7' 2" center who can make jump shots. He's also much more efficient with his shooting compared to Henderson. However, Henderson provides more on the court, as he can score, rebound and facilitate an offense, compared to the Frenchman.