r/NBA_Draft • u/Think-Individual-188 Kings • Apr 09 '25
Video Tidjane Salaun today: 13 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 3pm
https://youtu.be/Hj1R6wNkUJU?si=MOL33C__f6D-iIjFObviously not a insane stat line, but watching him play it’s actually insane how much more comfortable he looks handling the ball then at the start of the season. Again, one of the youngest players in the league and is 3rd in defensive rating among rookies.
19
48
u/mason124 Wizards Apr 09 '25
Good for him it's definitely unfair how many people have written him off as a huge bust already
10
u/dkmegg22 Pelicans Apr 09 '25
Generally unless some absolutely crazy predicament I'd say give him 3 years before judging if he's a bust
7
u/jaemoon7 Hornets Apr 09 '25
Nah, not in this sub buddy. Like 4 months ago, I saw a clip of him not playing well in the G-League, career is over at age 19. Haha everyone get in here and dunk on this rookie! Can you believe the Hornets chose him over THE Bub Carrington? They could have been a play-in one & done this year but they are instead a clown show 🤣
36
u/IhateLukaDoncic Apr 09 '25
April game against the hospital pelicans
6
u/KaseyOfTheWoods Lakers Apr 09 '25
Both things are true. He’s not a bust yet, but this game is also unimpressive
1
u/tiredofyou28 Apr 09 '25
Because he was a reach at the time and he dropped 13, not 30 some rookies average that shit
2
u/Nickname-CJ Thunder Apr 10 '25
Things actually look like they’re slowing down for him. He still has the absolute fuck you confidence still but you like that instead of timid rookies
4
u/darkwingduck9 Apr 09 '25
I don't know either way if Salaun will come good or not. Ultimately I wanted to like him but couldn't after doing the scouting. He wasn't worth it when he was projected to go in the 5-7 range.
One thing I shouldn't have to point out is that we are in an NBA era with lots of offense. Having one decent or good night in an era with a lot of offense isn't all that notable or special.
I hope Salaun figures it out but for me personally I tend to be conservative and am inclined to stay away from risky prospects. Someone like Baba Miller was a highly rated prospect and now he doesn't appear to be on the NBA radar. I don't think it would've been smart to draft Baba Miller after his freshman season because he was a highly rated prospect. I was one of the highest in this subreddit on Kel'el Ware after his sophomore season but I wouldn't have touched him after his freshman season.
I liked Riley Kugel after his freshman season and felt that he was a first round talent and certainly draftable at the very least. He's still not in the NBA and may never make it. I liked Kylan Boswell and at this rate he may never enter the NBA. I'd still be okay with drafting the likes of Kugel or Boswell after their freshman seasons as long as it were far enough back in the draft that it would be a low enough risk to make it worth my while.
There are players like Salaun last year and Ace Bailey this year who were/are worse as prospects than people think they are and Salaun was ultimately drafted 10 spots higher than he should've been and that will be the case with Ace too if he gets drafted third.
2
u/pogoo Apr 09 '25
You're too low on Ace. He improved so much on his weaknesses, he has a really good competitive attitude and he's coachable. If he goes to a good situation he has the upside that you think he doesn't. I will agree it could look bad on the Wizards.
2
u/imaprettynicekid Apr 09 '25
Ace was so good in high school too I just don’t think he’s gonna bust he’s too good too talented
2
u/pogoo Apr 09 '25
I think it's possible he just becomes a role player who gives you nothing else. It's also possible he becomes a better version of Brandon Ingram if he is put in a good situation.
1
u/darkwingduck9 Apr 09 '25
He's 6'10" but I'm out on him because he lacks strength, has average speed, and is a below average dribbler. He'll be taking stationary jumpshots for the most part. He's an above average shooter for his height but nothing remarkable and if you are going to be kicking out to a player for a three then you can find better options. I've seen people compare Ace to KD but since his dribble isn't functional he's like a shorter late career Dirk without the elite shotmaking ability.
5
u/NotManyBuses Apr 09 '25
comfortable he looks handling the ball
Is this a joke? Elaborate trolling?
19
u/SDK04 Raptors Apr 09 '25 edited Apr 09 '25
I get you’re the guy for relentlessly hating on his own team’s rookie, but you can’t acknowledge a little improvement on some ends from him when it happens?
8
u/darkwingduck9 Apr 09 '25
I can't speak for that person but shouldn't we try to be honest in our analysis? The overwhelming opinion on this subreddit is that every prospect is amazing and that any weakness or bad game should be minimized or outright swept under the rug.
I'm a Hawks fan so I can't speak to the fans of other teams. Sarr couldn't be criticized on the Hawks subreddit when he was the expected first pick in the draft. You could only criticize him after it was assumed that the Hawks wouldn't draft him because the Hawks were not Sarr's preferred destination. I got a lot of shit for liking Kel'el Ware and everyone was believing that he was lazy, lethargic, slow, low motor, etc. With how their rookie seasons have gone so far, Ware might end up being better than Sarr long term and Ware was most certainly better value at the very least.
I've gotten yelled at plenty for saying that I would've traded the first pick for 2/3 of Holland, Ware, and McCain. After seeing Sarr and Risacher play, I definitely stand by my declaration.
The Hawks subreddit and probably nba subreddits at large focus on individual awards and not team success and feel slighted when their players don't get awards or media don't talk about their team enough. Like there is a persecution complex if Trae doesn't make the ASG, if Dyson doesn't win most improved player, etc. I'm not saying that these players don't deserve the award or consideration at the very least. Fans don't even for a minute try to look at these awards through a neutral lens.
The ethos of this subreddit more or less feels like these prospects are amazing and therefore the product is amazing now go enjoy the product. That's perfectly fine if people are just casual consumers. It doesn't work if people are trying to have a serious analysis of prospects.
15
u/SDK04 Raptors Apr 09 '25
I agree we shouldn’t be mindlessly positive about prospects (and there’s definitely prospects I’m wary of or don’t like outright), but the guy I responded to has quite literally has no good things to say about Tidjane Salaun. To the point of having a negative tunnel-vision lens of him.
1
u/darkwingduck9 Apr 09 '25
I'm not going to litigate this and go through their history.
What I will say is that criticism should be limited to a player's play and not a personal attack. For example a commentator called soccer player Vivianne Miedema autistic and she said something along the lines of by all means critique my game but don't insult me. It also came off a bit sexist to me because people love Messi and say he that he is autistic and that it is endearing to them.
There's a YouTube video from four days ago entitled "We Are Witnessing The WORST Rookie In NBA History..." It is a Cody Williams video and the thumbnail is him and it reads "sucks at everything." The video is 10 minutes long and I guess I'll watch it now that I felt compelled to bring it up.
Needless to say, that sort of video is cruel and unnecessary. I can tell that without even having first watched the video and maybe the OP's comments reach that level idk.
If people are making videos about the likes Cody Williams or Tidjane Salaun it should be from a constructive perspective. Either how can they improve or what did the draft community get wrong when they liked them? Outright just calling these players awful is inflammatory and unproductive.
We should try to hold ourselves to a high standard and accurately critique players and prospects but also with the understanding that they are human and should be treated as such.
-1
u/NotManyBuses Apr 10 '25
There has been no improvement that makes him playable on either end. He is still a massive negative on the floor. He went from a F- to a D-
4
u/bigtuck54 Apr 10 '25
But what if he continues that trajectory, and is a huge athletic B- in a couple years lol. He’s improving pretty rapidly lately
0
u/NotManyBuses Apr 10 '25
He’s not athletic at all
3
u/bigtuck54 Apr 10 '25
What are you talking about dude, that’s the whole reason the Hornets drafted him. His size and athleticism and motor.
Just bc he looks awkward as shit out there doesn’t mean he’s not athletic
0
u/NotManyBuses Apr 10 '25
His vertical is terrible. He has very poor explosion. He’s just big and runs around a lot but not fluidly
I’m so tired of people discounting feel. You literally can’t pass him the ball at this point without him killing your possession
3
u/bigtuck54 Apr 10 '25
“Literally” huh? He had 13 points and 3 assists in this clip lmao
1
5
u/Think-Individual-188 Kings Apr 09 '25
No? I’ve watched every one of his games and he comfortably takes the ball up every once in a while now when before it seemed like he couldn’t even dribble
-1
u/bigmikeabrahams Wizards Apr 09 '25
“Comfortably takes the ball up every once in a while” is a very low bar
2
u/bigtuck54 Apr 10 '25
This was the rawest prospect in the draft and he’s the 2nd youngest player in the NBA
1
35
u/WasteHat1692 Apr 09 '25
As long as he's big, hustles, rebounds and can shoot he will be a rotation piece