TORONTO – The NBA drafts take place this Wednesday and Thursday, like every year in New York. On the eve of the event, we take a look at the young French-speaking players likely to be selected by the Toronto Raptors. Age, position, height, stature, profile and estimated chances of the player being selected. We tell you everything about possible new Toronto recruits who speak French.
It is important to remember, first of all, that the Raptors, on the eve of the drafts, have picks 19 and 31. This means that if nothing changes – it will still be necessary to monitor possible exchanges which could add selections or change the rank of picks – Toronto will select both, on June 26, in the first round (picks 1 to 30), then, first, in the second round, on the 27th.
Candidates for choice 19
Yves Missi (20 years old), Cameroon.
Height: 7’0″/ 2m13 (7’2″/ 2m18 wingspan)
Position: center
Profile: Young Cameroonian pivot who comes from Douala, who has extraordinary athletic qualities and who has great room for improvement, due to having started basketball late. If you follow the NBA, doesn’t this remind you of anyone? With a profile that clearly reminds us of Joël Embiid, Yves Missi, trained at Baylor University, is one of the players with the most potential in these 2024 drafts. If he has already shown defensive qualities that promise him a future certain in the NBA, nothing, on the other hand, guarantees that he will follow the exceptional progress of his elder in attack, due to a flagrant lack of a reliable mid-distance or long-range shot. Only time and his development will tell us if he will manage to enrich his offensive arsenal, but it is certain that the young Cameroonian has the weapons to be, at least, a solid replacement at the center position in the Great League.
Selection by the Raptors: little chance
Given his potential, Yves Missi is projected by specialists in the top 15 and should not normally fall beyond that. Having, in addition, a priori, not been tested by the Canadian franchise, there is very little chance of hearing the name of the Cameroonian pronounced by Adam Silver, the boss of the NBA when he will present to announce choice 19.
Kyshawn George (20 years old), Switzerland.
Height: 6’8.25″/ 2m03 (6’10.25″/ 2m09 wingspan)
Position: winger
Profile: Kyshawn George, despite an English-sounding name, speaks French well. Born in Switzerland, the young winger who passed through Chalon-sur-Saône in France in 2022-23 then the University of Miami this season, would bring to the Raptors his skill from afar and an ability to create with the ball in hand to develop. With a body still under development and a defensive level which may raise questions, the Swiss would constitute a development project certainly requiring time. The Raptors seem to want to avoid a long-term rebuild. Will they be inclined to take the time to develop Kyshawn George’s physique and skills over two, three years to make him an NBA ready player? Or will they instead choose a physical profile already ready for the NBA? These are the questions.
Selection by the Raptors: great chances
Despite the questions asked above, the Swiss winger regularly returns to position 19 among the Raptors in the forecasts of American specialists, in particular those of Jonathan Givony, the great specialist from ESPN. If information on his participation in a trial or not with the Raptors has not leaked, it would seem that Kyshawn George is one of the players who is of great interest to the Ontario franchise.
Pacôme Dadiet (18 years old), France.
Height: 6’9″/ 2m03 (6’9″/ 2m03 wingspan)
Position: fullback/winger
Profile: The young French winger left the country at a very young age, for the training center of the German club Ulm in 2023, before joining the professional team for the 2023-24 season. A stint “among the big boys”, where he was not necessarily able to show the extent of his potential, according to the specialist in young players with great potential, Emmanuel Le Nevé. Despite everything, the potential is there, as evidenced by the numerous NBA franchises that have tested it (Milwaukee, Utah, Orlando, Brooklyn, Boston, Miami, Philadelphia, San Antonio… Not Toronto?). His very young age is salivating, as is his defensive versatility and his qualities as a scorer and creator.
Selection by the Raptors: little chance
The fact that he was not tested by Toronto, while many other franchises did not hesitate to invite him, says a lot about Toronto’s intentions. Courted by teams in the middle of the first round, like others at the start of the second, it’s a safe bet that he will no longer be available when it’s time to choose in ’31. It’s hard to imagine the Raptors choosing him in ’19 , without having met him, especially since his rough diamond profile to be polished does not seem to fit with the direction taken by the franchise described previously.
Candidates for choice 31
Melvin Ajinça (20 ans), France
Height: 6’8.5″ / 2m04 (6’7.5″/ 2m02 wingspan)
Position: fullback/winger
The profile : If you’ve been following the Raptors for a long time, this last name should not be foreign to you. Melvin Ajinça is, in fact, the cousin of the great pivot Alexis Ajinça, who played for the Raptors during the 2010-2011 season. The profile is very different, since Melvin Ajinça plays on the outside positions, where he excels with his perimeter defense and an effective long shot. With a body already built for the NBA, the young player from Saint-Quentin in France has skills that should allow him to be a useful player in an NBA rotation, from his first year. The only “flaw”: his negative wingspan which could be a hindrance in defending himself against someone bigger than him in the NBA. The Raptors have historically been quite reluctant to take players at this specific point, sometimes wrongly (Desmond Bane in 2020). However, Melvin Ajinça would tick a lot of missing boxes in the Toronto squad.
Selection by the Raptors: little chance
It is very complicated to know if Melvin Ajinça is really a target for the Raptors who have tested a lot of players likely to be chosen in the second round. The young Frenchman was not a priori part of it…
Ulrich Chomche (18 years old) Cameroon
Height: 6’11.5″/ 2m12 (7’4″/ 2m23 wingspan)
Position: power forward/center
Profile: Quite unknown to the general public, as Emmanuel Le Nevé told us, Ulrich Chomche is a very young Cameroonian player who mainly played with the NBA Africa Academy during the past season. What is striking are his measurements with an exceptional wingspan, coupled with interesting mobility. For the Envergure specialist, he is a player who will require development in the G-League or in Europe, before being able to play in the NBA. He still showed potential in shooting and creating for others. The most optimistic are already dreaming of a career like Pascal Siakam, chosen in 27th position in 2016 and who has developed to become one of the major players in the league.
Selection by the Raptors: possibility outside the draft or lower
It’s hard to imagine, once again, that a player who is not yet ready for the NBA would be selected by the Raptors in 31st position. On the other hand, if the young Cameroonian does not find a buyer or if the Raptors make a transaction that allows them to obtain a lower choice in the second round, Ulrich Chomche could be a target. The franchise announced this Tuesday that it had released Mouhamadou Gueye to open an additional place for a player under contract 2-way in the workforce.
Player profiles produced in collaboration with Emmanuel Le Nevé d’Spansite specializing in the analysis of young basketball players.
2024-06-25 18:48:28
#NBA #Draft #French #speakers #Raptors
