Melvin Ajinca

Melvin Ajinca was hands down one of the best performers at the tournament. He was consistent and delivered on every match and was next to Zacharie Perrin the main player for France. Melvin offers some intriguing stuff for the wing position. His shooting numbers at the tournament were crazy and he made 22 out of his 45 attempts (48.9 %). Not all shots were easy and some of them were well contested but that did not bother the left-handed French wing who was full of confidence and sinked one shot after another. He was good at attacking with drives too and showed his fluidity and athleticism in transition with some attractive dunks. Played aggressive perimeter defense and forced lots of turnovers and he did his job on that end of the floor. He has the length and athleticism to be a pesky defender and defend multiple positions and if he manages to stay consistent and reliable in offense too then we get a really valuable two-way/3&D wing. After this breakout tournament a lot of eyes will be on him in next season – he showed the things that are very valuable nowadays for a NBA wing.

10.5 pts, FG2-42.3%, FG3-32.7%, FT-80%, 5.2 reb, 1.5 ast, 2.8 st, 0.2 to, 0.5 blck

Melvin is tough as nails, has a compact body that already looks ready for a jump up and should have a smooth transition. He is a pesky defender with an aggressive disposition. Looks to enjoy taking on a defensive challenge and exerting pressure on ballhandlers or the best players on the opposing team. His hands are everywhere, deflects, steals and disrupts everything he can. He can slide his feet well, thanks to great effort can even recover from initial bad angles, but sometimes leaves his feet too early and bites on fakes. Always in line to help. Can make a difference on the glass on both ends thanks to his athletic ability. Offensively, he had a bit of a hard time creating for himself, his right-hand needs work and could make better decisions in the future. He likes an outside shot and I can see him becoming a more reliable shooter, but could improve speed on his release. Seems to be slightly better from the spot, but can also sometimes knock down some shots off the dribble and punish defenders going under screens. Could be a provider of 3&D services in the future. 

(Written by Igor Chytrzynski)