Another international prospect who isn’t too well known by the masses is Melvin Ajinça. The Frenchman turns 20 on draft day and spent last season playing in the top level of France’s professional basketball leagues. A cousin of former NBA player Alexis Ajinça, the young Frenchman really broke out last summer. He is, in my opinion, one of the most intriguing prospects (especially on the international side) in this year’s NBA draft class. Ajinça could be a hidden gem.
Melvin Ajinça 2024 NBA Draft Profile
Early Career
Melvin Ajinça was one of the brightest stars of the 2023 FIBA U-19 World Cup that was played in Hungary. That’s where he really first broke out onto the scene. Despite playing on the same team as Alexandre Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher, the two players who are expected to be the top two picks in next week’s draft, he was the best player on the team throughout the tournament. In the championship game against Spain, Ajinça led all scorers with 21 points. For a comparison, Sarr had 8 points and Risacher didn’t score at all. Overall for the tournament, Ajinça led France in scoring at 19.3 points per game en route to the silver medal. That was second most of any player in the tournament, behind only Madagascar’s Mathias M’Madi.
Ajinça was invited to last month’s NBA Draft Combine. However, he missed it to compete in the LNB Pro A playoffs for Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball. In a playoff game against the powerhouse squad ASVEL Basket, Ajinça had a 14-point and 12-rebound double-double, which included making four threes. He helped the team make the playoffs in its first year back in Pro A, the highest level of French professional basketball, in 31 years.
Strengths
Ajinça has shown to be a very good three-point shooter, though it can be streaky sometimes. He has NBA-ready range. He is a deadly spot-up shooter with a great feel, and he has shown that he can do well off of handoffs and screens. That three-point shot-making ability has been evidenced by his shooting 48.9% from three in the U-19 World Cup. With his size and strong frame, he is able to play and guard multiple positions. That physique makes him look ready to handle the higher level of competition in the NBA. Ajinça can cut to the basket well and does well on straight-line drives. He can finish with both hands. That athletic versatility makes him a solid defender currently with lots of potential to develop and improve. Coaches will love how much energy he brings on both ends of the court. While he does need to improve his game, he could become a major contributor fairly soon.
Weaknesses
Ajinça is raw and with that needs more development. But a lot of that comes from his relative inexperience in professional basketball. While he is a good shooter he does not create shots well, which in turn leads to poor shot selections. While he has that physique he doesn’t utilize it often enough. He shows reluctance to drive to the basket. Ajinça has shown some liabilities on defense, but those will improve with development as there is a lot of potential there. Again, a lot of his weaknesses come from his relative inexperience. If he gets with a good coaching staff he could improve very quickly.
NBA Comparison
Taurean Prince is a solid comparison. Even though Prince is more primarily a power forward compared to Ajinça at small forward, the two do have a lot of similarities. They have similar sizes and can both play multiple positions, though Ajinça can also played shooting guard too as well as the two forward positions. The two have some similarities in their skillets too.
2024 NBA Draft Projection
Melvin Ajinça could sneak into the back end of the first round of the NBA Draft, and that wouldn’t surprise me one bit. However, early-to-mid second round is more likely.
