With the eighth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs have options.
French forward Tidjane Salaun of Cholet Basket is rumored to be one of them. He knows and is said to be friends with the Spurs' current franchise player. Tidjane Salaun appears to be a versatile forward who can shoot and defend. One website compares Tidjane Salaun to Dorian Finney-Smith type player. Another website sees him as a Michael Porter Jr. type of player.
Therefore, who is he like as a basketball player?
His skillset overall feels and seems quite theoretical to me, but the upside is there. Here is two scouting videos which delve into the skillset of Tidjane Salaun:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzjsLUJvt24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrCDBN4tcD0
Play-style wise, I see him as a mix between Jabari Smith Jr. of Houston and Jalen Johnson of Atlanta.
Positionally, I think long-term, Jeremy Sochan would need to play small forward if the Spurs draft Tidjane Salaun, although the NBA is becoming increasingly positionless as we speak. Overall, does it make sense to play Jeremy Sochan at SF? If the answer is yes, then drafting Tidjane Salaun makes sense for the Spurs. If not, the fit of Tidjane Salaun in San Antonio becomes blurry, from a positional standpoint. Does it make overall sense to pair them from a basketball standpoint with Jeremy Sochan moving to small forward full-time with a Tidjane Salaun – Victor Wembanyama frontcourt? When diagnosing the fit of Tidjane Salaun in San Antonio, I believe this aspect is key.
Overall, I think it would be prudent for the Spurs to continue their rebuilding process, not deviate from this, and draft their point guard of the future in next year's draft such as Nolan Traoré or Dylan Harper. If the focus is to maximize the future in San Antonio around their franchise player, then Tidjane Salaun could be a key part of that in the future for the Spurs. His game also meshes well with the style of play of either Nolan Traoré or Dylan Harper, as the 2025 NBA Draft will be the turning point for the Spurs, all in all, in terms of this rebuild before they make the eventual move to contending around Victor Wembanyama. Until then, it is important to be patient and not rush the process.
The purpose of this post is not to praise or to criticize Tidjane Salaun as a basketball player. It is whether to disgonse, 1) whether he is a good fit in San Antonio, 2) what is his style of play and how that would be beneficial for San Antonio, 3) whether the Spurs should draft him at all, and 4) how he would fit long-term in San Antonio with all factors considered from a basketball perspective.
With these four factors considered, does it make sense to draft Tidjane Salaun at #8?
I would appreciate feedback in this regard.
by vishjay101
5 Comments
Honestly I want the Spurs to draft him at 4th if Risacher and Castle are already off the board.
Salaun is one of the top three prospects in this draft, so he makes sense at #8, and he makes sense at #4, and the Spurs can figure out the lineups later (it’s not going to be a problem).
I think he immediately brings the Spurs into title contention
>!the Austin Spurs!<
It’s one big question mark with him. The one thing everyone can agree on is his athletic potential, but drafting anyone so raw also includes the potential for disaster. I’m only high on him because Wemby is. I don’t think Wemby is gonna be like LeGM where he thinks a guy will be a good fit just because they’re buddies. I think Wemby is too smart to let bias get in the way so when he endorses a player, I trust it.
Phenomenal. He’s #2 on my board. Great measurables and frame, super young, solid athlete. Really smart, absolutely insane motor and tremendous work ethic. Can already shoot it, gonna be a really good defender, and he’s already a great cutter. Tremendous off ball potential.