Lenny Talks Sports

Tag: draft

  • French Revolution: Can Noa Essengue be the Next French Star in the NBA?

    Projected Lottery Pick Frenchman Noa Essengue Gains Major Ground, Having The Best Game Of His Season In the German BBL Playoffs. - NewsBreak

    After having the first overall pick in the last two drafts, and the first two picks in last year’s draft, the French basketball factory has not stopped churning out future NBA players. This year’s draft is no different; while the number one pick will not be French, don’t be surprised to see three French players go in the first round, with Noa Essengue being the most intriguing prospect of them all.

    Essengue’s breakout performance, which caught the attention of many NBA scouts, came in an October preseason game when his Ratiopharm Ulm team faced off against the Portland Trail Blazers. In this game, Essengue at just 17 years of age, scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds against the Blazers. A very strong performance by Essengue caught the attention of many NBA scouts as a player to watch for the upcoming season.

    Essengue, just 18 years old, is one of the most fascinating prospects in June’s NBA draft. Measuring in at 6’10” barefoot, with a 6’11” wingspan, and a 9’3″ standing reach, Essengue has the height, length, and all the tools in his game to be a future NBA star, but will he put everything together in his transition from Basketball Bundesliga to the NBA is the question.

    In Germany, Essengue has put together a great season for an 18-year-old averaging 12.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in 23.7 minutes a night. Essengue has done this with a 64.6% true shooting and has done a lot of work by getting to the free throw line. Essengue has one of the highest free throw attempt rates for a prospect at 80%, which shows his aggressiveness and will to get to the rim and draw contact. While still being a very raw and slender prospect, Essengue has shown many strengths in his game his athleticism and ability to finish in transition may be his greatest strength. Going through his film, Essengue flashes as a threat in transition every time, whether it’s cutting to the rim, or gathering the ball on the outside before driving past his man to get to the basket. With a quick first step for someone his size, Essengue can consistently blow by big men on the perimeter to create easy finishes at the rim. Essengue’s athleticism also flashes on the defensive end of the court which will be valuable in the NBA. His ability to stay in front of his man off of switches, his defensive versatility, as well as his shot-blocking ability show on film.

    Just like all other prospects, Essengue does have downsides to his game. The most glaring flaw in his game is his three-point shooting. On the season, Essengue has shot just 29.4% from three and Tankathon projects his NBA three-point percentage to be 33.5%. But, in the game in October against the Blazers, Essengue did hit three three-pointers showing potential for improved shooting. The other flaw in Essengue’s game is his slender build; he jumps off the screen before the ball tips due to how skinny he looks. While we have seen players like Chet Holmgren be successful with a slender build, Essengue will have to add some muscle in order to withstand the physicality of an 82-game NBA season.

    At just 18 years old, Essengue will be one of the youngest players in the NBA draft and possesses some of the highest potential out of anyone. While not being a finished product, whatever team drafts Essengue will commit to the process of Essengue’s upside. While it may take a couple of years for his potential to come to fruition, with the proper development Noa Essengue could be the steal of the 2025 NBA draft.

  • Analyzing Utah Jazz’s 5th Pick: Tre Johnson vs. Jeremiah Fears

    2025 NBA Lottery Results: Utah Jazz feel the pain - SLC Dunk

    Entering Tuesday night’s NBA Draft Lottery, the Utah Jazz had a 14% chance of winning the number one overall pick, which was tied for the highest odds with the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets. Jazz fans had high hopes that they would be able to land the first overall pick and take consensus first overall pick Cooper Flagg with that pick. However, as NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum opened the pick envelopes, the Dallas Mavericks jumped into the top four picks, followed by the San Antonio Spurs and the Philadelphia 76ers. This led to the opening of the pick five envelope, where the Jazz logo was revealed. A crushing blow for Jazz fans as their hopes of Flagg becoming a star in Utah slipped away from their minds. But with the 2025 draft class being such a deep class, the Jazz can still pick a franchise-altering star with the fifth pick.

    The first player that could come into play at the fifth pick is the former Texas Longhorn Tre Johnson. The SEC Rookie of the Year and league’s leading scorer is a walking bucket, Johnson can create his own shot off the dribble well, as well as being able to consistently make catch and shoot threes. There is not a shot on the court that Johnson will not be able to create and take; Johnson has a great frame standing 6’6″ with a 6’10” wingspan, which allows him to rise and maintain a high release point on his jump shot. The downside of Johnson’s game comes from his mindset, where he has to get his shots up, which, if he’s hot, he’ll drop 30, but if he’s ice cold, he can go 0-14 like he did against Oklahoma last season. Another area of improvement in Johnson’s game would be his ability to get to the rim; he has shown plenty of speed and agility to create pull-up jumpers, but he doesn’t get to the rim as much as you would like. With that being said, Johnson just turned nineteen years old in March and has plenty of time to grow and adjust to the NBA game.

    The second player is Johnson’s college rival in Jeremiah Fears out of Oklahoma. Fears is a dynamic 6’4″ point guard who wants to get downhill and finish at the basket. Averaging 17 ppg, as well as four assists and four rebounds per game, Fears is a prototypical point guard who can be effective for years to come. Fears is also one of the youngest prospects in this year’s draft as he won’t turn nineteen until October. The downside in Fears’ game comes from his strength and his shooting; Fears weighs in at just over 180 lbs. and struggles with contact around the rim sometimes. Fears only shot 43% from the field and 28% from three in his one year at Oklahoma, but given some time to refine his mechanics and get used to NBA threes, expect those numbers to rise. Fears has the upside of being an all-star caliber point guard and would be a great addition to the Jazz organization.

    Although Cooper Flagg won’t be a member of the Utah Jazz on draft night, the Jazz still have a great opportunity to upgrade their roster with the fifth pick. Johnson and Fears are raw prospects who have proven the ability to take over the game on any night, but just have some refining to do to be successful in the NBA.