Of course there are other choices. I just assumed we'd pick a guard at 4 and a wing at 8
It really depends on who are THEIR guys, whether they want to fill a position/need or the best potential available etc
We have so many needs tbh
I could see them take Dilli or Reed at 4 and Salaun or Cody at 8 (not a fan of Buzelis/Holland but they know better than me)
Whoever we pick at 8 (maybe even at 4) will be a long term project anyway
The reason Salaun is in discussion of being a top 10 pick in the first place is because teams believe he’s got a high ceiling. It isn’t just the Spurs showing interest, but multiple teams have. There’s rationale to drafting him with a top 10 pick. No team that has shown interest is thinking they’re drafting him because he has a role player ceiling.
Last edited by Dejounte; 06-16-2024 at 01:08 PM.
Are you sure about that ? You might be thinking YMCA league MVP Ousmane Dieng or former spur Georgi Dieng.( Actually I've met Georgi Dieng - he's a really cool down to earth guy no disrespect to him.)
Are we going to argue semantics now? Outcomes aren't deterministic and just about anything said here is an opinion, so it feels redundant to state 'it is my opinion that the high ceiling outcomes have exceedingly low probabilities of occurrence' and figured the shorthand 'role player ceiling' was fairly easy to understand. If I search your usage of the term ceiling in your posting history, am I not going to find the same wording you object here? come on...
Needless clarifications aside, teams sell themselves into taking these projects all the time and of course there is a rationale behind it, but it's usually based on elaborate projections loosely rooted in reality. For Salaun specifically, all you read about is his character and work ethic, which is obviously great but hardly enough to become a high level NBA player. I could see the case if we were talking about an African kid who just picked a basketball at 15, but he's been playing the sport his whole life in some of the most prestigious programs in the world and yet he's painfully raw. That is quite a red flag to me.
I've said numerous times what I believe Salaun is right now and what he could realistically become: he's long, hustles like crazy and shoots with confidence with mediocre efficiency, but doesn't look like a super fluid or coordinated athlete , isn't bouncy, his skill level all around is quite poor (ball handling, passing, atrocious finishing at the rim), and doesn't stand out as a high level processor of the game. Those aren't easy to improve especially if you've been properly coached since childhood. What does that "high ceiling" of his look like in practical terms? Who do you see him possibly becoming and what would be a realistic path towards it?
i don't have lot of intels about dieng but the eye test is way better for salaun imo
he will not be the pick 4 imo but he's in play for 8
If they waste a top-8 pick on this bust or that Bustzelis guy, me this franchise and Wemby run as fast as you can away from south texas
In a draft like, the problem isn't him at 8, it's Castle at 4 because if you're going to take a project with the latter, it'd be nice to have a baseline level of certainty with the former.
They won't even have that by selecting someone who compares favorably to this illustrious list: Exum, Ntilikina, Culver, Daniels (too soon), Black (too soon) and to a lesser extent (more true PG's) Payton, Mudiay, Dunn, Hayes and (more wings) Winslow, (Stanley) Johnson, (Josh) Jackson.
This is shaping up to the be the '22 draft redux, only with greater stakes because the picks are higher and they have one of the GOAT prospects. They screw this up, heads needs to roll.
IMO Castle is far more certain than most of those players. A lot of them were playing for poor teams and unimpressive situations. Jackson and Winslow are probably the exceptions, but I don't think any of them showed the feel and ability that Castle showed on UConn. That's a massive difference to me. You're not looking at an athletic marvel who may learn how to play basketball, hopefully; you're looking at a pretty good athletic who has already shown a tremendous feel for basketball.
There are no such players in this draft. Everyone has holes in their game.
I realize not all will be available to them (though they clearly have the assets to trade up for any if they're so inclined), but: Sarr, Risacher, Clingan, Sheppard, Dillingham, Knecht and Carter are all projected lottery picks that at least stand a good chance of having long careers.
Sure, but you used the words “level of certainty”, and I think there are zero players with a level of certainty. If there were one, he would be the consensus #1.
From what I’ve read, Salaun didn’t start basketball until very late. Where did you read that he has been playing the sport “all his life”?
In practical terms, I see his play style becoming reminiscent of something between Kelly Oubre Jr and Jerami Grant. I think he can be a better coached version of either of those two if he lands with the Spurs. I think there’s an alternate universe out there somewhere where if Oubre or Grant had better coaching in their earlier years they would be twice the player they are now. Oubre and Grant both exhibit poor feel (and are inefficient chuckers) for the game right now and it’s easy to name a lot of NBA players right now who get by on poor feel. Salaun can develop that part of his game (as well as all of his skills) or not develop his feel and still be a player that will be in the league for 10 years. If he did develop feel? Maybe that’s going to be a of a player. Salaun is not shy to take jump shots and is very similar to the two players I mentioned.
Their offensive bag is not all that complex, ballhandling is basic, footwork not that advanced… so Salaun doesn’t really have a tall mountain to climb. Grant and Oubre both excel because they have confidence to shoot. That’s how they’ve gotten by and have gotten paychecks for. I think these are good comps for him. Good versions of these guys are probably what teams are banking on. Is it a fit with Wemby? Maybe if they’re trying to ensure that the team can still score with him on the bench, yes.
Last edited by Dejounte; 06-16-2024 at 07:14 PM.
https://www.prospectiveinsight.com/post/tidjane-salaun
I remember reading he was following in his older sister's footsteps, and he's known Wemby for a long time because both their sisters played together. Also he's played for INSEP and Cholet, 2 highly reputable basketball programs in France. This isn't Siakam who didn't pick up a basketball until he was 16, so I'm not buying the progress. As for the comparisons, maybe he could have a Jerami Grant developmental curve, but that's a guy taken in the 2nd round and I wouldn't say that's "high upside". Doesn't really pass the eye test for me, but we'll see.Pro Insight: Tidjane, tell us a bit more about your basketball career thus far — when and where did you start to play?
Tidjane Salaun: I started to first play organized basketball when I was seven years old in some small local teams in the Paris suburbs where I was born. Then I played five years at Charenton where I was fortunate enough to be part of a group of some very talented players that included (future NBA prospects) Pacome Dadiet and Mohamed Diawara. In 2021 I moved to Cholet where I am currently playing.
I’ll pre order my Wemby lakers jersey
Can confirm. Part of the narrative on Salaun is that he's supposedly only started playing basketball in the last couple of years. What they mean, honestly or dishonestly, is that he's only been playing professionally that long. He's been around basketball for a long time and played for a long time. It's not a new sport to him.
The kid is still only 18 years old ffs Put some "" on "long time" at least
+ 2 notorious ins utions chose him. It must means something
Him and Dilli are my 2 "underdogs" that are slowly gaining ground on the favorites tbh
This would be a "trust the scouting" pick as a fan, because it's all projection.
Yeah, to be rotation players. Teams aren't looking for just that at or near the top of a draft though, which is why it's bereft of a true number one or top few pick.
Primo was all projection too tbh.
And word is he projected…like a lot.
I totally agree with what you’re saying. They could just totally the pooch. It’s a bit of a lottery ticket. If they hit on one of these two picks they are probably average.
But what I’m more worried is that they draft this guy for Wemby to be his French pal, not necessary cause they think he is the best player. Than we are totally ed, tiddy- ed apparently.
Since the possibility of drafting this guy at 4 or 8 is heating up, been doing more and more research on him
I think above else the Spurs value work ethic and want someone to stay in the gym with Wemby. Stories came out all season that Wemby was the first player in the gym and the last player to leave. i think we have to admit that work ethic like that is rare, and maybe they see Salaun as being one of those guys who will truly put the work in. This is an example of information we’re not privy too, and maybe in the past decades they pinpointed work ethic as the one attribute that all former Spur greats had in common. As fans, we don’t know that and don’t put much stock in it because all players claim they have good work ethic in interviews.
I see rumors that the Pistons are looking at him with their 5th too
When everybody is considering him in the top 10, that’s no longer considered a reach tbh.
from what im getting is,Salum is a low iq player.Do yall really want another player with no iq after
what we saw this season with this current roster.They better get it right this draft and stop playing
games with this roster we been building.Other then wemby,That last few years havent been impressive.
We got two lotterey picks,One of them for sure better be a damn good player.
actually if you watch this, they show that he makes good reads on defense. The “low iq” has more to do with his decisions on offense, more specifically the shots he takes. They’re mostly out of rhythm, and not within the flow of the offense. But part of that maybe is his coach allowing him to feel out what he can and can’t do. There seems to be flashes of varied shot attempts that he will take in one game, and won’t try again in another. Like, he will try to break down a defender or post up and then not do the same move in another game. A lot of experimentation going on, usually a sign of a coach trusting his player because said coach sees the player putting the work in in practice.
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