Zaccharie Risacher, Tidjane Salaun, Pacome Dadiet, Melvin Ajinca
Brian breaks down the top prospects from France this season. This includes wing Zaccharie Risacher, wing Tidjane Salaun, wing Pacome Dadiet, and wing Melvin Ajinca
We are going to be breaking down the top French prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft. Most of these players are pretty polarizing according to the consensus. They all have their holes that are pretty big, but their strengths are just as positive. So let’s break them down!
Zaccharie Risacher/JL Bourg
Link
Zaccharie Risacher has been on the radar for the NBA Draft for a long time. He’s risen up boards this season due to his size and potential as a 3nD wing. He’s had stretches where he’s been lights out from 3, and other moments where he’s been ice cold. However, he’s being mocked in the top 2 in this draft pretty consistently as of the time I’m writing this, and it's very likely he’s drafted in the top 5.
Personal Opinion
To start out, I’m not exactly a Risacher guy. I feel like he’s being rationalized to the top of draft boards. The numbers don’t stand out which is fine. He wasn’t playing 23 minutes a night. He’s got good size but needs to get stronger. The biggest thing for me is the fact that he didn’t stand out in games with his peers. You’d expect a prospect as talented as he is to dominate. Yes, he is more talented than the numbers would indicate. Teams want two way wings. Risacher in theory could be that. Is he actually a good shooter? I guess so? Is he a good defender? Maybe? Risacher feels like 2024’s version of Otto Porter Jr. Otto was fine as a player. He went 3rd to the Washington Wizards and had a good career. Injuries derailed his career but I wouldn’t say he was a bust of a 3rd pick. It wasn’t the best choice but it could have been worse. Is Risacher this draft’s version of Otto Porter? He probably is, but De’Andre Hunter was in a similar spot. How did that turn out? A bad 4th pick for sure, but a solid NBA player on a big contract.
Fantasy
He will not be a coveted fantasy player unless he becomes an on ball scorer. Harrison Barnes and De’Andre Hunter are not coveted fantasy assets and never really have been unless you liked them in their first couple years. Risacher might have some top 100 seasons, but I’d rather let someone else take the plunge on him as there’s always a chance that he doesn’t work out.
If Zaccharie fails in the league, Why?
He can’t defend or shoot. He becomes a complete non factor on the floor and players that can do more on the floor will play over him. He also could be put in a bad position early in his career and be forced into a role he can’t handle and fail miserably.
Now in fairness to Risacher, he is quite a bit younger coming into the NBA as these players were. Otto and Harrison were 20, and Hunter and Dekker were 21. De’Andre Hunter’s shot has been hit or miss. Harrison Barnes can get hot every once in a while. Risacher is in the same mold. Otto was a much better defensive playmaker than Risacher. Sam Dekker is a worse shooter than Risacher at this point. It’s also worth noting that Zaccharie is taller than everyone here but Dekker. Given that Risacher can shoot it better than Dekker, there’s a role for Risacher in the NBA. It should not be with a top 5 pick that he’s being mocked at currently, even in this draft. If he goes around 10, I think that’s a good get.
Big Performance Highlights
28 Pts, 6 Reb, 5 To, 11-16 FG, 5-9 3PT, 1-2 FT
This was Risacher’s career high with 28 points in this playoff game. Risacher was more aggressive in this game and was hitting his shots. The concern with it is the complete lack of nothing else and the 5 turnovers are a concern. Nanterre won this game by 6 points so those turnovers were pretty costly. Risacher was a +3 in 29 minutes.
21 Pts, 8 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 To, 8-12 FG, 2-4 3PT, 3-5 FT
This was in another playoff game and Risacher came up big in this one. He was a +28 in an 8 point win. He showed a bit more in peripheral stats and played the most minutes on the team. This is what you would want to see which is very encouraging.
Tidjane Salaun/Cholet
Link
Tidjane Salaun is a big wing that is pretty raw but has quite a bit of upside. He’s a good cutter and has been on a very good trajectory, but he’s still pretty raw and there’s a lot that needs to be hammered out. However, he has the tools to be a very good NBA player.
Personal Opinion
I go back and forth on Salaun. I get why he’s appealing, he’s just got a lot of holes in his game. He’s not as talented of a scorer as Chandler Parsons. Or as athletic as Obi Toppin, but those are the type of players he could develop into. He plays really hard any time he’s on the court. His rim finishing has been really bad which is a little perplexing to me. That needs to improve a lot because it's worse than a lot of guards. In general, I’ve tended to be higher on him in the cycle but not dramatically. The floor is really scary with him though.
Fantasy
There is a lot of fantasy appeal for Salaun, unless he develops to an insane level. He takes a lot of 3’s and he gets steals. He’s below average in everything else though. His ceiling is probably top 100, maybe 70 if he develops. He’s just an unfinished product at this point.
If Tidjane fails in the league, Why?
He doesn’t get on court reps because of how far away he is, and he spends a lot of his time on the bench. He also could end up in a situation where the team is not very patient with him and he doesn’t develop at the pace they want. He also could be overtaxed early on in his career which wouldn’t help his development.
Tidjane isn’t the athlete that Toppin and Gordon are. He’s not as skilled as Parsons. I’m worried that a Sekou Doumbouya outcome could pop up for Salaun. He is a better shooter which gives me hope but there are similarities.
Big Performance Highlights
12 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Stl, 2 To, 4-9 FG, 4-8 3PT
Salaun had a double double which helped keep the game close. He didn’t take a ton of shots and only took efficient ones. He was a -2 in this 3 point loss, but he was one of the best players on the floor in this one.
May 15th vs. Paris
19 Pts, 8 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 To, 8-13 FG, 2-5 3PT, 1-5 FT
The efficiency wasn’t great from the line in this one, but this was the main game where the Salaun hype started to pick back up. This was a playoff game and a win for Cholet. Salaun was a +15 in a 10 point win against a very good team. This game could have been a lot better had he hit his free throws.
Pacome Dadiet/Ratiopharm Ulm
Link
Pacome Dadiet is a French scoring wing that is playing in Germany this season with prospect Juan Nuñez as his teammate. Pacome got a bit of hype to start the season, it was mostly quiet during the season apart from games against JL Bourg where he’d put up big numbers against Zaccharie Risacher. He’s started getting a lot more buzz during this part of the cycle. He’s very interesting but has some flaws.
Personal Opinion
I’ve had Pacome in the first round for most of the draft cycle. His size, scoring ability, and age make me very interested regardless of the defense. He’s still a project, but if he learns to defend, he has the potential to be one of the best players in this class. He’s going to be fit dependent, and I wouldn’t mind it if he stayed for one more year overseas, but if he hits, he could hit big.
Fantasy
The appeal is going to come from the scoring and efficiency. He won’t bring much else to the table, but he’ll be useful in certain formats. He could have a top 100 season at some point, but he’ll likely hang around the 150-250 mark if he hits. There is a better outcome where he turns into a real contributor to a title contender, but he’s still aways away from that.
If Pacome fails in the league, Why?
He’s too raw to stay on the court. The defensive mistakes cause coaches to yank out their own hair in frustration. Pacome could end up in a situation that isn’t patient with his needs which could cause him to be let go of too early.
He’s not the defender that Batum was, but they have similar size. I see a lot more Marcus Morris and Jordan Nwora in Dadiet. I think he has the potential to be a lot better than them, but the defense needs to improve in order for that to happen.
Big Performance Highlights
December 29th vs. Syntainics MBC
17 Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast, 7-10 FG, 1-2 3PT, 2-4 FT
This was a blowout for Ratiopharm Ulm, so the entire team got whatever shot they wanted in this one. Dadiet got his buckets in 17 minutes which is still pretty impressive. It wasn’t even on crazy volume either. He was a +18 which is good for the minutes he played.
15 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 To, 6-9 FG, 0-1 3PT, 3-3 FT
Both times they played, Risacher and Dadiet had really good games. Dadiet would struggle defensively, but have no problem scoring against him either. This line is still pretty empty, but in 17 minutes, it's still really good. Ulm won this game by 4 points.
Melvin Ajinca/St. Quentin
Link
Melvin Ajinca is a sharpshooter that isn’t afraid to let it fly. He caught on as a prospect really early on in the cycle before college basketball started. He was being mocked as a first round pick and as we headed into December, he had fallen into the second round. He’s hovered around that area and it's pretty reasonable that he’ll get selected in the draft if he stays in. He’s not the best prospect on the team because next year there’s a potential contender for the #1 pick, but Ajinca stands out. He is a cousin of former player Alexis Ajinca as well.
Personal Opinion
I think there's something there with Ajinca. He needs to improve defensively but he can shoot the basketball despite what the percentages indicate. He’s great off movement and I really value that. I’ve had him as a second rounder for most of the cycle and I think that there are some fits I really like for him. Orlando is my favorite one, but he’d have to get on the floor and be better than Jett Howard, which I’m not sure he is.
Fantasy
It’s all about the 3 pointers for Ajinca. There isn’t much else there and he won’t ever be a good player for fantasy. If he were to start and play 36 minutes, he’d probably just crack the top 150. He’ll be a valuable streamer for 3’s but not much more than that.
If Melvin fails in the league, Why?
His defense is too bad and he can’t get on the floor. He’s too one dimensional and there are better players to put on the court.
Isaiah Joe is way smaller than Ajinca, but Melvin Ajinca is very similar to a wing version of Isaiah Joe. That has a lot of value. Ajinca is also pretty strong which makes this pretty interesting. Ajinca is going to be fit dependent, but there could be a role there for Melvin.
Big Performance Highlights
17 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 To, 6-8 FG, 3-5 3PT, 2-2 FT
This was a pretty typical game for Melvin Ajinca. He hit his shots, played well off the ball, and did close to nothing else. Ajinca was a +11 in this game in24 minutes. 19 point win for Saint Quentin.
14 Pts, 12 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 To, 4-7 FG, 4-6 3PT, 2-2 FT
This was one of the best games of the season for Ajinca. He got a double double in the final game of the season in a playoff game. Ajinca was a +5 in a 3 point loss. He wasn’t the best player on the team. (Nolan Traore/Watch OUT). However, Ajinca made his presence felt and did a good job in this one.
Final Thoughts
Zaccharie Risacher is a big wing that can shoot the basketball. He’s not a high usage player, but is a talented wing that could potentially be a very valuable player in the NBA. He’s been in contention for the #1 pick, so we will see what happens on draft night. I currently have Zaccharie Risacher at 5 on my board. I feel pretty good about it. He’s still a solid player but I don’t think he’s near the best prospect in this class. In the recent Dizzle Dynasty Mock, Zaccharie Risacher went 5th to the Detroit Pistons.
Tidjane Salaun is a tall wing that has quite a bit of upside. He’s still newer to basketball, has a really good motor, and is still really young. He still has a lot of warts, but teams are very very interested with him, despite the really bad rim finishing. I currently have Tidjane Salaun at 20 on my board. He could get into the back end of the lottery for me, but he’s still really far away. The team that takes him is going to need to be very patient with him. In the recent Dizzle Dynasty Mock, Tidjane Salaun went 34th to the Portland Trail Blazers. (This mock was done before Salaun started getting going again.)
Pacome Dadiet is a scoring wing that is still really young. He has a really good jump shot and stands out when you watch him. He needs to improve defensively if he’s going to get on the court for a good team, but he was a good player in a professional league despite his limitations. I have Pacome Dadiet 17 on my board. He’s another player that could end up in the lottery for me, but the defense is what’s holding him back for me. In the recent Dizzle Dynasty Mock, Pacome Dadiet went 29th to the Utah Jazz.
Melvin Ajinca is a sharpshooting wing that can really excel off the ball. He’s not afraid to let it fly and that’s the main appeal with him. The defense needs to improve and it will determine his success in the NBA. His shooting is already at NBA level. He’s still relatively young which makes him interesting. If he stays in the draft, he will likely be a draft and stash player, but his game fits the NBA pretty well. I currently have Melvin Ajinca at 43 on my board. In the recent Dizzle Dynasty Mock, Melvin Ajinca went 56th to the Denver Nuggets.
Also, I want to thank you all for your support of these mock drafts. We are about 2 weeks away from the draft! There will be one more scouting report article coming out which will have a bunch of players on it. It won’t be as in depth, but it will have the custom made reports on it and not much else. However, it will likely be filled with a lot of the two way contracts and exhibit 10 players. That’s all for now! It’s draft season!