Every year, fans are hoping that their teams swing big in the NBA Draft and come away with a franchise player. That’s why people salivate over prospects that have length, athleticism and other types of unteachable tools. Well, one of the players in the 2024 NBA Draft that many view as an upside swing is 6’9’’ French forward Tidjane Salaun, who played for Cholet in the LNB Pro A last season. Salaun isn’t quite “two years away from being two years away”, but he’s viewed as a bit of a project. And late in the draft process, people became intrigued by this talented ball of clay, waiting to be molded.
While many are looking for Salaun to develop into a franchise-changing star, it’s more likely he turns into a high-level two-way role player. And while that might not be as sexy, it’s an outcome that would make him worthy of a top-10 pick. It’s also one that would very much please the team that drafts him. That said, Saluan certainly possesses all sorts of upside. But people might want to temper their expectations a little.
Last season, Salaun averaged 9.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game for Cholet, and he did it on 40.6% shooting from the floor, 31.6% shooting from three and 74.8% shooting from the free throw line. Those numbers aren’t all that inspiring, especially for a player that will be selected in the lottery. But it’s important to remember that Salaun is just 18 years old and was playing in a very competitive league. The forward also happened to improve over the course of the season, and he was a reliable contributor by the time the playoffs rolled around. Considering Salaun was barely on NBA radars two years ago, that was an insane development.
In the NBA, Salaun should be able to make an impact defensively rather quickly. Not only is he tall for a wing, but he’s also athletic, has pretty good footwork and measured with a 7’2’’ wingspan and 9’2’’ standing reach at the NBA’s combine in Treviso, Italy. That length is tantalizing for any player, but it’s downright scaryl when paired with Salaun’s motor. He is a ball of energy on the defensive end, where he works tirelessly to stay in front of his man and also makes a lot of plays off the ball. Salaun is very good at playing passing lanes and should eventually turn into an effective weak side shot blocker.
Salaun is actually a better off-ball defender than he is on the ball right now. But that’s not a problem, as it shows he has good instincts and understands how to impact games within the team concept. With his size and ability to move his feet, along with his sheer desire to play good defense, he should eventually turn into a more reliable isolation defender.
Salaun is also going to provide his next team with a lot of positional versatility. The Frenchman should realistically be able to cover small forwards through centers, while also having the ability to step out and defend guards for a couple of seconds.
The offensive end is where things are a bit murky for Salaun. The forward has a lot of different skills, but what exactly will he be? With Saluan, the best thing that can possibly happen is that he gets drafted into a situation where he isn’t asked to do too much. There are a lot of analysts that believe Salaun has flashed on-ball ability, but he’s at his very best as a read-and-react player. So, Salaun should be the best version of himself on a team that already has high-usage players in place. He needs to focus on finishing and knocking down open shots, while also making plays in transition. That’s exactly what happened over the course of his international career, and it’s precisely why he developed so rapidly and has turned himself into such a good prospect.
Salaun is going to be an exciting play finisher at the next level. He has long arms and impressive leaping ability, so he tends to throw down a lot of big dunks. And Salaun sets himself up for a lot of those jams by floating in the dunker spot area. He has a really good sense for when his teammates are drawing help and he readily makes himself available as a finisher. Salaun is also a good lob target, and he can also finish off straight line drives. And the ability to quickly get up and sky for a slam also makes Salaun a terror in transition.
As a shooter, there’s still a lot of work to be done for Saluan. As previously mentioned, the teenager shot just 31.6% from three last season. However, Salaun did shoot 36.3% from three the year before. He also has a pretty nice looking stroke, making it easier to buy what he did two years ago. Salaun also happened to have some big shooting games in the playoffs, and it takes real confidence to knock down outside shots in that setting — especially as a young player.
Salaun just needs to be a little more consistent with the way he shoots the ball. He generally has good mechanics and a real feel for getting to his spots, but he can occasionally get sloppy. That has led to a Jae Crowder-like syndrome in which he switches off going 0-for-5 and 3-for-5. There’s not much of a middle ground with his jumper. Perhaps that will change when he starts working on it with NBA trainers.
All in all, there’s a lot to like about Salaun’s game on both ends of the floor, and it isn’t hard to see why teams want to get him in their buildings. However, Salaun should be viewed as more of a complementary piece than a future superstar. This isn’t a Bilal Coulibaly situation in which his next team should be rolling the ball out to him and letting him play through mistakes. The more structure there is, the better Salaun will be. He has a higher floor than he is given credit for, and his ceiling is a bit lower than people might think. So, let’s hope Salaun lands in a good spot on draft night. The Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz are two spots in which the youngster can thrive.