Tidjane Salaun: The Frenchmen who will be a top 5 pick
Rising up boards as of late due to some stellar postseason performances in Pro A, Salaun has a lot of intriguing intangibles. But, why is he rising?
As the NBA continues to trend towards long, lanky shot creators with enormous upside, French Pro A remains the place to be as a young French prospect. Tidjane Salaun is no different.
Bursting onto the scene this year with Cholet Basket in the west of France, Salaun played starter-level minutes, something he was prepared to do at the youth level by the Parisian-based club Saint-Charles Charenton.
Saluan's developmental trajectory was similar to those of his mold in the past. After playing as a guard for most of his youth days, Salaun shot up to 6'10" because of a growth spurt enabling him to tap into his next level of upside. With the frame to match at 212 lbs, Salaun possesses an NBA-ready body while maintaining the room to grow physically alongside his game.
With Cholet this past year, Salaun averaged 9.0/4.0/1.0 on 37.3/32.9/76.7 shooting splits. Despite an inefficient campaign, Salaun showed flashes of what the NBA craves nowadays. Furthermore, with prospects like Salaun, inefficiencies can always be ironed out of their game. This was his first year as a pro, and he's only 18.
That being said, let's dive into what drives Tidjane Salaun's Top 5 upside.
Strengths
To start off, it's essential to acknowledge what differentiates Salaun from his peers in this class. Salaun is one of a few prospects with real superstar potential. At 18 y/o, Salaun is much younger than most of the other prospects in this class and tore apart Pro A in a way only so many prospects before him have. Salaun's upside lies in his on-ball creation ability. Primarily playing off-ball this year, Salaun's opportunities on-ball were limited, but when attacking closeouts, Salaun showed tons of encouraging on-ball behaviors. For a guy at his stage in his development, it's clear Salaun has some tools in his toolbox, but he must become more efficient. The guard skills shown here make Salaun intriguing to NBA decision-makers.
Although Salaun shot 32.9% from 3 this past season, the numbers don't tell the whole story. Salaun is a confident shooter off the catch and can regularly punish defenses. NBA GMs currently value Salaun's confident shooting ability as 6'10", sharpshooting wings don't grow on trees.
Additionally, Salaun is strong in transition, something that's limited in the European game but should thrive at the next level. With his long strides, Salaun's athletic, long frame allows him to move with fluidity to catch lobs.
Salaun is also a solid cutter for teammates in the half-court at this stage, allowing him to get easy baskets at his 6'10" frame. Cutting is a highly translatable skill for him at the next level that should help him stay on the court early on in his career.
Lastly, I'd be remiss to ignore Salaun's physical tools and how they correlate to defensive upside/versatility at the next level. Salaun may be able to guard 1-5 in due time, but time will tell. He shuffles his feet well and possesses a long wingspan, but simple team defensive mistakes must be etched out for Salaun to blossom defensively.
Weaknesses
When mentioning Salaun's weaknesses, it's noteworthy that Salaun is an extremely raw prospect at this stage in his development. By no means is he a perfect prospect. He stands out because he has upside in a class that, by most accounts, lacks upside.
Firstly, Salaun must become a better all-around playmaker for others if he wants to truly tap into his upside as a scorer. To open up all facets of his game, Salaun must learn when to pass and how to create looks for others based off of his natural ability.
This play against Riga is a perfect example. Salaun drove into traffic and somehow got fouled, but it was a rushed and out-of-control decision, something that must be cleaned up at the next level.
Although he currently lacks sufficient playmaking skills, the young Frenchman shows healthy flashes of PnR playmaking. He's also fundamentally sound, which aids his decision-making and his strong feel for the game at his size.
Defensively, Salaun has consistent lapses on a possession-by-possession basis that will need to be cleaned up to become a neutral to positive team defender at the next level. Salaun’s intangibles are what give him defensive upside, but currently, he’s a subpar defensive player on the court.
Generally, when weighing Salaun's weaknesses (he has plenty more than playmaking currently), I wouldn't put too much weight into his negatives, as they're bound to work themselves out over the next couple of years. Improvement is imminent for Salaun once he's surrounded by a world-class coaching staff in the NBA.
Wrap-Up
In conclusion, Tidjane Salaun embodies the type of high-upside prospect NBA teams covet in today's game. At just 18 years old, with a compelling blend of size, skill, and potential, Salaun's flashes of brilliance overshadow his current inefficiencies. His guard-like abilities at 6'10", confident shooting, and defensive versatility make him a rare find. While he remains raw, the foundation is there for Salaun to develop into a superstar. With the right coaching and development, his weaknesses will likely diminish, allowing his strengths to shine through. As such, Salaun stands out as a prospect with top 5 upside in this class, ready to make a significant impact at the next level.