“Situational Evaluation” is a collection of articles that seeks to look at the circumstances that the majority typically affect an NBA prospect’s success. Every participant can be scored on a scale from 1-10 in 4 completely different classes: NBA-specific talent(s), deadly flaw(s), collegiate/abroad/pre-NBA setting, and superb NBA ecosystem.
Noa Essengue is an 18-year-old ahead from Orléans, France, who averaged 12.4 factors, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 23.7 minutes per recreation for Ratiopharm Ulm in Basketball Bundesliga in Germany (you will discover a wide range of statlines on Essengue, however we’ll go together with Basketball Reference). He’s anticipated to be a prime 20 decide within the 2025 NBA Draft. NBADraft.web at the moment has him projected to go No. 11.
NBA-Particular Expertise
Yearly, there may be at all times not less than one mysterious worldwide prospect who rockets up draft boards with loopy mix measurables, insane highlights, iffy field scores, and worlds of potential.
Noa Essengue has entered the chat.
Essengue – like lots of the limitless upside prospects earlier than him – is from France. Very similar to Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Tidjane Salaun, Rayan Rupert earlier than him (Victor Wembanyama clearly belongs in a unique class), Essengue bulldozed his approach into the primary spherical – and doubtlessly the lottery – due to a seemingly not possible mixture of measurement, youth, size, athleticism, and fluidity.
Essengue appeared like he was nonetheless a few yr or two away from severe draft consideration, however a well timed development spurt put him at 6-10 with a 9-2 standing attain and Kawhi Leonard-esque fingers. The scary half? He’s nonetheless rising.
He runs the ground like a guard and covers nearly countless quantities of the courtroom in a single or two strides. Gamers together with his construct shouldn’t be capable of transfer, run, or soar like this.
He isn’t only a tape-measure marvel, both. Essengue seems like a participant. He has unimaginable physique management for somebody nonetheless in the midst of a development spurt. He can corral the ball with both hand and end with out having to decelerate. His motor runs sizzling, and he by no means tries to do something he can’t do. Essengue is a team-first participant with a knack for making well timed contributions. He has a terrific nostril for the ball as a rebounder – notably on the offensive glass.
Defensively, the sky is the restrict. Essengue has the size and pace to comfortably change between all 5 positions. His most translatable NBA talent proper now’s turnover creation – he obliterates passing lanes that appear large open till he extends certainly one of his arms.
If Essengue continues this growth monitor, he has the potential to be certainly one of this draft’s most proficient prospects by the top of his rookie contract.
On a scale from 1-10, Essengue’s upside is a 9.5.
Deadly Flaws
Can Essengue, you already know, truly play basketball?
For each flash of brilliance, Essengue has simply as many flat-footed moments of confusion, dribbles off the foot, or jumpers that hardly draw iron. It takes him a very long time to load up his jumper, and it nonetheless solely goes in as soon as each three or 4 instances, even when he’s large open. He’s made strides on this space, however the jumper continues to be very a lot theoretical at this stage.
As for ball dealing with, he’s a lot better off taking one or two dribbles and eliminating it versus attempting to interrupt down a protection. The dribble is excessive, free, and nonetheless a bit of stiff. Essengue is rather more snug ending a play than he’s creating one. Passing imaginative and prescient is proscribed, as is his capability to diagnose and dissect a posh defensive scheme.
Energy/bulk will possible include age, as he’s nonetheless outgrowing his physique’s capability to keep up muscle mass. He has a excessive heart of gravity and may lose his stability if he will get caught out of his stance.
The upside? Large. The ground? Nerve-wracking. He isn’t fairly within the Bruno Caboclo realm (Fran Fraschilla’s immortal scouting report: “Two years away from being two years away”), however Essengue may be very a lot a piece in progress.
On a scale from 1 (not a priority) to 10 (severe hindrance), Essengue’s currently-under-development skillset is a 9.
Pre-NBA Setting
Essengue finds himself in the appropriate place on the proper time.
Basketball prospect growth in France has by no means been higher. Due to the muse constructed by Tony Parker, Nicolas Batum, Boris Diaw, and Rudy Gobert, France has created a rock-solid infrastructure for top-end expertise to grow to be NBA-level abilities.
After standing out in Orléans, Essengue discovered his method to Germany in 2023, signing with Ratiopharm Ulm and posting sturdy showings for its developmental squad, OrangeAcademy.
Not like many of those “worldwide prospects of thriller,” Essengue has turned in sturdy efficiency towards excessive ranges of competitors. His recreation tape reveals a participant with a transparent function and pathway towards a productive NBA profession.
On a scale from 1-10, Essengue’s pre-NBA profession is an 8. He clearly isn’t Luka or Wemby (a young person profitable MVPs towards different adults), however Essengue isn’t a complete query mark, both. There’s something right here.
Perfect NBA Ecosystem
Masai Ujiri is drafting Essengue. It appears nearly too apparent.
Most basic managers have preferences in what they worth in a draft prospect. When a GM has performed the job for this lengthy, these preferences turn into clear to even probably the most informal observer.
I’d be shocked if Ujiri isn’t already obsessive about Essengue. A freakishly lengthy athlete with limitless upside who would possibly by no means study to shoot, go, or dribble? It’s nearly as if Ujiri created Essengue in a laboratory. If he’s nonetheless on the board and Ujiri passes on him, beware.
If Essengue’s ground is the No. 9 decide, is it attainable he may go larger? Sure. I feel Essengue may go wherever between Nos. 4-8, given the truth that all these groups are years away from severe postseason basketball they usually all must take swings on any prospect who may probably exceed expectations.
Of those groups, the Wizards appear to be the very best match. They have already got a French contingent in Sarr and Coulibaly, they usually all want the identical sorts of talent growth. Washington GM Will Dawkins appears to have a plan in place and a prospect desire that might lean towards Essengue.
On a scale from 1-10, Essengue’s situational dependence is a ten. He may bust out rapidly if a crew saddles him with unrealistic expectations and/or pins him to the bench and destroys his confidence. With the appropriate tradition and the right teaching, Essengue is a robust contender to out-perform his draft slot.
