Pistons draft: The best shooter in Europe among top draft prospects not in NCAA

Tidjane Salaun, 6’10" PF,  Cholet Basket

Strengths

• Wingspan
• Perimeter Shooting
• Overall Creating Ability
• Athleticism and Lateral Movement
• Age

Weaknesses

• Shot Selection
• Ball Handling
• Low Assist Rate

Summary of Tidjane

One player who is beginning to jump up draft boards is Tidjane Salaun out of France. Tidjane is a 6-foot-9 power forward who plays similar to Obi Toppin or Michael Porter Jr. The big pull for Tidjane is his athleticism and shooting ability. He is connecting on 40 percent of his three point shots to date, and his shooting mechanics are quick and fluid. Outside of his shooting, Salaun’s creation/lateral movement help him tremendously in the transition game.

Tidjane is slated to be one of, if not the, youngest players in this upcoming draft. He will still be just 18 years old on draft night, and sometimes, he plays like it. His shot selection can sometimes be sporadic and questionable, he sometimes can struggle with rebounding and assists, putting more pressure on his shooting translating at the next level. Some of his actual production resembles that more of a project than a plug and play type player. Still, his raw athleticism, shooting and potential should give Detroit pause, in a good way, and take a deeper look.

Unlike Sarr and Risacher, Salaun is slated to go late in the first round. Detroit could bank on a fall into the second round for the PF, or trade back into the first, a move that Weaver has done before.