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Jonathan Jeanne – 7’2” Center, France, 19 Years Old
Jonathan Jeanne is a center from France, who is projected to be a late first round pick. This past season, he played for both Le Mans Sarthe and SLUC Nancy Basket. The Frenchman would average 13.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.9 blocks. Starting the season with Le Mans, he would be loaned to Nancy for more game time. Despite standing at 7’2”, he would attempt 2.8 three pointers per game. However, the lanky center would shoot an awful 22.6% from beyond the arc. Jeanne has International experience, playing for France at youth level.
Strengths
Standing at 7’2” in shoes, his main strength is his size and length. A superb rim protector, he averaged nearly four blocks per game playing in France. His strong ability to protect the rim comes from his 7’6” wingspan. He moves well, up and down the court. For a player of his size, having the ability to move with fluidity will serve him well. As mentioned earlier, he isn’t afraid to shoot. Now, the percentage is terrible, but to have the confidence to keep shooting at his age, is impressive. Aggressive on the boards, Jeanne has the potential to become an elite rebounder.
Weaknesses
There is one glaring hole in his Jeanne’s game, the Frenchman is skinny, very skinny. Weighing in at just 210 pounds, he desperately needs to add some muscle. He intends to stay in France another year, so in that time, he should look to add 15-20 pounds. Slow in the post, he looks clumsy, even uncoordinated at times. He needs to be more aggressive when finishing at the rim. If he could channel the aggression used on the boards, and translate it into his offense, he would benefit greatly. At 19 years of age, he lacks game experience. Playing on just 11 occasions whilst with Nancy, he needs to get games under his belt, if he wants to improve. He’s a player who will need time at the next level, as he’s a very raw talent. In time, he could be a good contributor at the NBA level.
NBA Potential
This kid could develop into anything at this point. His game is so raw and undeveloped, yet the production of a first-round pick is there. It’s very likely we see an NBA team draft him and stash him as a project pick. Expected to be drafted late in the first or early in the second, this Frenchman has all the tools to be special. We’ve seen plenty of International big men slowly develop and blossom into quality contributors, Jeanne could be the next in a long line.
NBA Player Comparison
The first player that comes to mind when you look at Jeanne, is Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert. Gobert is an elite rim protector and defensive specialist. Jeanne has similar tools to Gobert. Size, athleticism and rebounding all come into play when mentioning both players. Now, there is one other player who isn’t a carbon copy of Jeanne, but the similarities are there. Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan went down a path Jeanne may follow. Jordan was selected by the Clippers in the second-round. He was a project pick, something Jeanne will likely become. Jordan had elite athleticism, but lacked some key skills. Now, Jordan may be more explosive than Jeanne, but the link is certainly there.
Know one can know what Jeanne will become, but with similarities to the likes of Gobert and Jordan, he must be doing something right.
Expect Jonathan Jeanne to be a late first-round pick on draft night, and be sure to stay updated with our complete coverage of the 2017 NBA Draft!
