Latest news with #Essengue
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Frenchman Noa Essengue listed as a top-10 pick in one mock draft
Frenchman Noa Essengue listed as a top-10 pick in one mock draft Noa Essengue is considered one of the top international prospects in the 2025 NBA draft, and the Frenchman was recently listed as a top-10 pick in one mock draft. Essengue is averaging 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists on 51.6% shooting from the field in 52 games with ratiopharm Ulm in the German League. He has scored at least 20 points six times, including a 21-point performance on May 17. The 6-foot-10 forward is considered a potential lottery pick, with his size, rebounding and defensive versatility. He has looked increasingly comfortable on offense, prompting Jonathan Wasserman to list him eighth in the latest mock draft on Bleacher Report. Big scoring outputs are becoming more common for Noa Essengue in the German BBL. The easy baskets off rim runs, cuts and offensive rebounds have been consistent all season. But he's looking more comfortable converting off self-created drives and knocking down rhythm threes. Essengue also boasts a strong interior game and dazzled in the open court in fastbreak situations after creating turnovers with his length and instincts on defense. He has played a key role, helping his team advance to the semifinals of the German League playoffs. The 18-year-old is among several international prospects considered possible first-round picks, along with the likes of Joan Beringer, Hugo González, Ben Saraf and Nolan Traoré, among others. He likely won't have the chance to work out for teams, with his team on a deep playoff run. Essengue projects to be able to fit in with several teams drafting in the lottery. He can do several things on the court and should only continue to improve at the next level. The draft will take place on June 25-26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nets' dark-horse No. 8 pick candidate rising up draft boards
The post Nets' dark-horse No. 8 pick candidate rising up draft boards appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Brooklyn Nets can go several directions with their first selection in next month's draft. Their fall to the No. 8 pick put several household college names, such as Jeremiah Fears, Tre Johnson, Kon Kneuppel and Khaman Maluach, within their range. However, French phenom Noa Essengue is creeping into the conversation as he continues to flash his raw potential overseas. Advertisement Bleacher Report and Yahoo Sports have the Nets selecting the 6-foot-9 forward in their latest projections. 'In the past two drafts, we've rebuilding teams swing for upside overseas with the Wizards taking Bilal Coulibaly and the Hornets grabbing Tijane Salaun. The Nets have no high-upside prospects on the roster and could be enticed by the draft's second-youngest prospects who can make threes, attack, finish and defend all over,' said Jonathan Wasserman. '[Essengue's] improving on-ball skill and rising offensive production are becoming notable draft storylines, considering he's the draft's second-youngest prospect who also offers exciting defensive tools and movement.' Essengue is putting together one of his best runs of the season while playing for Ratiopharm Ulm in the BBL, Germany's top professional league. The 18-year-old has averaged 12.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 53.3 percent shooting in 22.0 minutes per game over his last eight appearances. ESPN has moved the Frenchman up to No. 9 in its latest Top 100 big board. Will Sean Marks, Nets take a chance on Noa Essengue with No. 8 pick? Brad Penner-Imagn Images In the early stages of a rebuild, there is no question that the Nets should prioritize the best player available at No. 8 rather than drafting for positional need. However, there has been much deliberation about what that entails: do they opt for a safe prospect with a high floor or take a swing on upside? Advertisement Noa Essengue would fall into the latter category. The 18-year-old's fluid athleticism, transition ball handling, finishing ability, playmaking flashes and defensive tools inspire hope that he can develop into a dominant two-way force. His ability to reach that ceiling will depend on several swing skills. First, his jumpshot must reach a respectable level. While he's shown flashes in that area, he's shot just 25.5 percent from distance across 52 appearances this season. His half-court ball-handling is just ok at this point, limiting his ability as a self-creator. And while he possesses the tools of an elite defender, his body positioning and awareness still have room for improvement. None of this should be surprising given Essengue's youth. He's the second-youngest player in this year's class, only three days older than Cooper Flagg. His production at the professional level at such a young age should be a green flag for front offices. Essengue has been a foul-drawing machine this season, attempting 7.5 free throws per 36 minutes and converting 72.0 percent. The young forward has displayed a soft touch on his drives, shooting 64.2 percent on twos. He's produced at this level offensively despite his raw handle and inconsistent jump shot. Overall, Essengue has the tools to develop into a home-run pick if he's able to round out the less-polished aspects of his game. However, he doesn't currently possess an elite skill outside of his impressive measurables and athleticism. If the Nets are confident in his player archetype and development trajectory, he could be their guy at No. 8. If not, they could opt for a safer pick with an established college star.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 NBA Draft: Nets projected to take F Noa Essengue with No. 8 pick
The Brooklyn Nets have the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and that pick could be a player that makes a sizable impact on the franchise moving forward. Brooklyn will not be able to select Duke forward Cooper Flagg unless they are able to trade up to the first overall pick, but there is a promising player that the Nets could take at that spot. In his latest mock draft for Bleacher Report, Jonathan Wasserman projected the Nets to select forward Noa Essengue at the No. 8 spot in the Draft. Essengue plays for Ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), considered the best professional basketball league in Germany and he has been making splashes for his club that has led to him getting buzz for being taken in the Lottery. Advertisement "Big scoring outputs are becoming more common for Noa Essengue in the German BBL," Wasserman wrote. "The easy baskets off rim runs, cuts and offensive rebounds have been consistent all season. But he's looking more comfortable converting off self-created drives and knocking down rhythm threes." Essengue, 18, has played 51 games for Ratiopharm Ulm this season and he's averaging 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 51.2% from the field and 25.7% from three-point land. While his perimeter shooting will have to improve if he is going to be an all-around offensive threat, his improving shooting touch suggests that he could get there in the NBA with enough training and time. "His improving on-ball skill and rising offensive production are becoming notable draft storylines, considering he's the draft's second-youngest prospect who also offers exciting defensive tools and movement," Wasserman continued. Essengue not only comes into the Draft as the second-youngest player behind Flagg, but he also boasts an impressive physical profile as he is listed at 6-foot-10 while probably being one of the most athletic players in the class. This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: 2025 NBA Draft: Nets projected to take F Noa Essengue with No. 8 pick
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 NBA Draft: Nets projected to take F Noa Essengue with No. 8 pick
2025 NBA Draft: Nets projected to take F Noa Essengue with No. 8 pick The Brooklyn Nets have the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and that pick could be a player that makes a sizable impact on the franchise moving forward. Brooklyn will not be able to select Duke forward Cooper Flagg unless they are able to trade up to the first overall pick, but there is a promising player that the Nets could take at that spot. In his latest mock draft for Bleacher Report, Jonathan Wasserman projected the Nets to select forward Noa Essengue at the No. 8 spot in the Draft. Essengue plays for Ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), considered the best professional basketball league in Germany and he has been making splashes for his club that has led to him getting buzz for being taken in the Lottery. "Big scoring outputs are becoming more common for Noa Essengue in the German BBL," Wasserman wrote. "The easy baskets off rim runs, cuts and offensive rebounds have been consistent all season. But he's looking more comfortable converting off self-created drives and knocking down rhythm threes." Essengue, 18, has played 51 games for Ratiopharm Ulm this season and he's averaging 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 51.2% from the field and 25.7% from three-point land. While his perimeter shooting will have to improve if he is going to be an all-around offensive threat, his improving shooting touch suggests that he could get there in the NBA with enough training and time. "His improving on-ball skill and rising offensive production are becoming notable draft storylines, considering he's the draft's second-youngest prospect who also offers exciting defensive tools and movement," Wasserman continued. Essengue not only comes into the Draft as the second-youngest player behind Flagg, but he also boasts an impressive physical profile as he is listed at 6-foot-10 while probably being one of the most athletic players in the class.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Big French Forward Prospect Pairs Perfectly With Spurs' Victor Wembanyama
Robinson, Duncan, and now Wembanyama. The San Antonio Spurs have built a longstanding history of deploying elite big men, and Victor Wembanyama has the potential to be the best of the bunch. The 7-4 Frenchman followed up his historic rookie season with a sophomore campaign featuring 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 3.8 blocks per game. Despite his best efforts, an illness derailed Wembanyama's season, limiting him to just 46 games. The Spurs' 34-48 record, paired with a previous trade to acquire the Atlanta Hawks' first-round pick, leaves the Spurs with a pair of lottery picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, and a fellow France native would be the perfect pairing next to Wembanyama. Advertisement Noa Essengue is a 6-foot-9, 194-pound forward out of Orleans, Loiret, France. Essengue's physical tools are his strongest attributes, as he doesn't just pack top-tier size and length, he's extremely athletic for someone his size, his movements mimic those of a guard, which he leverages to be a two-way phenom. Essengue isn't much of an on-ball creator, he's an off-ball player who excels in transition and finding looks in the flow of the offense. He has solid touch around the rim, and thrives as a cutter in the half court. His best trait offensively is being able to get to the free-throw line. In 49 games for Ulm this season, Essengue is averaging 4.84 free throw attempts per game in just 23.4 minutes. (In the NBA this season, only one player averaged at least 4.8 free throw attempts per game in under thirty minutes per contest: Jaren Jackson Jr., who averaged 5.4 per game in 29.8 minutes). Advertisement Essengue's jumpshot is a major question mark. He's converted just 26.7 percent of his three-point attempts this season, and is hovering at 70 percent from the free-throw line. Mechanically, he shows promise, and his stroke has looked much better this season after working with shooting coach Adam Harrington. Essengue has shown some mid-range scoring upside, being used in occasional curl screens and as a popper. He's also flashed a bit of a face-up game at times, which might hint at something that can potentially grow into his game. Essengue is a very active rebounder. He's averaging just shy of five rebounds per game. Defensively, Essengue has shown the ability to be a switchy wing, being quick enough to stick with most guards and long enough to handle his fair share of bigs. He'll need to bulk up to handle NBA bigs, but the potential is there to be involved in a switch-heavy scheme. Advertisement Essengue is likely never going to be a big-time creator, but the Spurs don't need him to be. He has the potential to be a super-role player type, as a switchable defender next to Wembanyama in the frontcourt, which would create a treacherous duo for opposing offenses, an active rebounder, and someone who will get shots within the flow of the offense. The type of player that coaches love to leave on the floor for as much time as possible. If he can become a respectable shooter from beyond the arc, he could be a genuine force that closes playoff games. Related: NBA Draft Lottery Odds for All 13 Teams Revealed: Where Will San Antonio Spurs Likely Pick? Related: Resurfaced Cooper Flagg Quotes Suggest He Wants to Be Drafted By San Antonio Spurs
