Tidjane Salaun is the Giannis Antetokounmpo of the 2024 NBA Draft

The top five picks in the 2013 NBA Draft, in order, were: Anthony Bennett, Victor Oladipo, Otto Porter Jr., Cody Zeller and Alex Len. Only three of the 60 players selected that summer made an All-Star team. But two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (pick No. 15) and four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert (No. 27) were unearthed that year. Even in awful draft class, there are hidden gems. This year, that gem is Tidjane Salaun.

The 2024 NBA Draft Class is considered to be the worst since that infamous 2013 group. There’s no consensus top prospect; there’s barely a consensus top tier of prospects. But there’s bound to be a Giannis or Gobert somewhere, just as there was 11 years ago.

Tidjane Salaun will be the crown jewel of the 2024 NBA Draft

Salaun is a 6-foot-9, 212-pound 18-year-old who plays for Cholet in France’s top pro league. His stats (9.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists on 37/33/77 shooting splits) won’t convince anyone he’s a top-10 pick. But watch two minutes of him on a basketball court and the allure of Salaun becomes clear:

The first thing that pops out about Salaun is his athleticism and explosiveness. His 6-9 height and 7-1 wingspan make it look even more impressive, and considering he’s only 18, it’s fair to wonder whether he still has some growing to do. He certainly has the frame to put on more weight.

He’s an elite player in transition and his shooting stroke looks clean and smooth. His size, athleticism and length make him a potential lockdown defender at multiple positions and he’s already adept at defending off the ball.

So why isn’t Salaun a lock to be a top pick in a poor draft class?

He’s not a shot creator in any sense, for himself or his teammates (he’s averaging 1.5 turnovers compared to 1.0 assists this season). And everything about him looks great, but it isn’t. There’s no real consistency to his game; at this point only flashes. He’s extraordinarily raw.

Check out bits of this scouting report from NBADraft.net:

Strengths: He’s still in the development stage and has grown three inches since last year … Standing 6’9”, he has amazing mobility and body control for a guy his height … He’s able to change directions off the dribble and with the ball in his hands with incredible smoothness and quickness, getting to the rim while maintaining excellent balance … His athleticism and wingspan make him able to cover 4 positions on the floor, showing great versatility … On the defensive end he has great instincts in the passing lanes and in help situations, often with perfect timing for blocks from the blind side … With his physical tools he could easily guard opposing wings, showing the potential to defend both guards and power forwards, depending match ups. He’s still raw in many perspectives, but his ceiling and upside are the highest among the internationals

Weaknesses: He has to bulk up, working especially in the lower body since he’s definitely too skinny to face NBA opponents at the moment … The overall impression is of a raw prospect from basketball comprehension standpoint, whose is based on instincts, talent, physical gifts and natural feel for the game.

That’s the scouting report for Antetokounmpo in 2013.

There’s no way to measure Salaun’s heart and drive. That’s a lot of what makes Giannis Giannis and what’s turned that skinny 6-9 18-year-old into an NBA champion. Only teams interviewing Salaun will get any kind of intel on his personality.

Like Antetokounmpo, the Frenchman flashes the physical attributes of a future superstar. But Salaun has a leg up having already played top-level European basketball.

Maybe there’s no Giannis or Gobert in June’s draft. But if teams are looking to take a flier on a prospect with the potential to reach those heights, Salaun is it.

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