2024 SB Nation Mock Draft: Spurs pick Tidjane Salaun with the 8th pick
06/24/2024 10:59 AM
Salaun is a project who may not pan out, but his upside is too intriguing to pass up.
This year the Spurs have two lottery picks to use in the SB Nation 2024 mock draft. The No. 4 pick was used to select Stephon Castle. With the eighth pick, we took a riskier approach. Since Matas Buzelis and Cody Williams were off the board by the second selection at eighth, Pounding the Rock took Tidjane Salaun for these reasons:
At this stage, Salaun seems too raw to contribute much as a rookie but his youth, size, motor and budding skillset make him a worthwhile project. If he reaches his ceiling, Salaun could be a do-it-all forward who offers shooting, passing and defense while also being able to play center for stretches on small lineups. The Spurs would need to be patient with him, but they could mold him into a uniquely valuable player.
Salaun might be a project, but he's too intriguing to pass up. There are not a lot of 18-year-old forwards with his physical profile — 6'10 with a 7'1 wingspan and above-average athleticism — with a viable perimeter game and the tools to eventually become a defensive presence. In a more stacked draft class, upside alone wouldn't warrant a top-10 selection, but there are no sure things this year and the Spurs, which have two picks, can afford to take a big swing.
There's serious bust potential with Salaun. He's as raw as they come and there's little production to back up claims that he can do anything at an NBA level. In just under 23 minutes per game, he averaged nine points and four rebounds, had more turnovers than assists, only hit 33 percent of his threes and blocked only eight shots in an entire season in the French league. He used his length and quick burst to play the passing lanes well, averaging over a steal a game, but he wasn't a good defender. On offense, he was a roleplayer. He had a few games in which he looked fantastic and others in which he looked lost.
The upside is tantalizing, though. If the shot is real, he'll have a skill he can rely on sooner rather than later to get some minutes as he learns the fundamentals. He could even become a viable small-ball center since he's so young and could add more muscle. It would take a while to get there, assuming it happens at all, but the fully realized version of Salaun would be an incredibly useful player and potentially a starter next to Victor Wembanyama.
