Alexis Ajinca

[BMiller52]

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=yj1bHmIXtBQ

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=MlcfmCclMtk

My god the guy is talented. 7'2'' with great athleticism and PF skills. Yea I know it's only youtube videos, but still. I am on his bandwagon now. He's bigger and far more skilled than a guy like Jordan and McGee. Bigger than guys like Arthur and Speights. If he played in college ball I bet he'd be a top 10 pick.

Somehow people only project him for the 20-30 area. I think he's going to be GOOD. Would love to pick him up at 12, even if some people consider it to be a reach.

 

[OptimusRhyme]

im with you on this one.. the guy is a shot blocking monster with great all around skills. If we were to take a chance and reach on somebody Ajinca would definitley be my number one choice. I think the smarter thing would be maybe trade down or try and aquire another first rounder to select him with.

 

[nbrans]

These videos don't really show very much -- is there any game footage available? He doesn't look that athletic to me. The shooting form looks good though.

 

[SacKings7]

I'm really starting to like this guy too. Those videos don't show much though, as nbrans said.

 

[HighFlyingMonkey]

These videos don't really show very much -- is there any game footage available? He doesn't look that athletic to me. The shooting form looks good though.

I've always liked the guy, and have tried to keep an eye on him.

I wouldn't worry about his athleticism either

 

[dmj]

So what is the problem with this guy? He is over 7 feet, athletic, and skilled. Generally speaking, players with those attributes get selected very high in the draft, unless they have some issues. Hell, DeAndre Jordan apparently doesn't even know how to play basketball and people were talking (foolishly) about his being top 10 or even top 5 pick, solely on physical attributes. Why hasn't their similar attention been paid to Ajinca?

 

[CruzDude]

Ajinca is French and learned the Euro brand of BB. Go back into the Mock Draft thread yesterday about the plus and minus's of the Euros. He could look great in EuroLand then hardly get off the bench in the NBA. The game in the NBA is defending the middle, banging in the middle and getting pushed around by more experience guys who are bigger, not necessarily taller but more physical.

Don't get me wrong, on the surface I really like Ajinca but at #12? Don't think so but if the PGs and Joe Alexander are gone by #12, who knows what type of rabbit GP pulls out of the hat.

........ 5 min later......Ahhhh! open my yap before I looked into more details of Ajinca

PLUSES
He is 7-2, 20 yr old and shot FT at 85%!!!!! Played really well in the U18 and U19 competition but was over 7 ft even then.

MINUSES
Only weighs 220 and played significant minutes one year, this past season for Hyeres-Toulon (France). Averaged 3 reb/game, 1 blk/game and 5 pts/game. First pro year was 06-07 but nearly a zero.

So from that, I can see where Alexis Ajinca is quite a project, 2-3 years maybe to be a backup but 2-3 years where? He would play full time in Europe or in the D-League. A #42 pick maybe but first round? only if you have an extra first rounder and even then there are quite a number of 3-4 year college guys who would help this year.

 

[Bricklayer]

So what is the problem with this guy? He is over 7 feet, athletic, and skilled. Generally speaking, players with those attributes get selected very high in the draft, unless they have some issues. Hell, DeAndre Jordan apparently doesn't even know how to play basketball and people were talking (foolishly) about his being top 10 or even top 5 pick, solely on physical attributes. Why hasn't their similar attention been paid to Ajinca?

Not sure there is a "problem with this guy" per se. But I really would like to see some actual game footage. It was pretty clear that that practice footage he was being matched against 6'8" guys who had been told to impede but not actually play any real defense. And it was 2 on 2. If he's really 7'2" he's got nice smooth skills, but what happens when another big guy gets his body into him? Can he absorb the contact and finish? Can he fight on the glass? How are his instincts when there are 10 guys on the floor rather than just 4? Is he soft? Or will he fight back? I just don't know enough about him to answer those questions.

I would think that if he shows decently in games somebody would just about have to take a flyer on a skilled guy that big, in the second round if nothing else.

 

[OptimusRhyme]

So what is the problem with this guy? He is over 7 feet, athletic, and skilled. Generally speaking, players with those attributes get selected very high in the draft, unless they have some issues. Hell, DeAndre Jordan apparently doesn't even know how to play basketball and people were talking (foolishly) about his being top 10 or even top 5 pick, solely on physical attributes. Why hasn't their similar attention been paid to Ajinca?

I geuss his knock was his weight but from what ive read hes been able to put on 15-20 pounds already after working on it. He's still skinny at about 230-235 and needs to gain another 20-25 pounds to bang in the nba but
part of that reason is he just turned 20 and his body still has to fill out,
so i dont see the weight factor being a problem in the future.

As for the lack of attention towards him, I would say that's because hes from France and it was harder to scout him. Which might be a good thing for us because he does have lottery potential and we do have a shot at him.

 

[HighFlyingMonkey]

Not sure there is a "problem with this guy" per se. But I really would like to see some actual game footage. It was pretty clear that that practice footage he was being matched against 6'8" guys who had been told to impede but not actually play any real defense. And it was 2 on 2. If he's really 7'2" he's got nice smooth skills, but what happens when another big guy gets his body into him? Can he absorb the contact and finish? Can he fight on the glass? How are his instincts when there are 10 guys on the floor rather than just 4? Is he soft? Or will he fight back? I just don't know enough about him to answer those questions.

I would think that if he shows decently in games somebody would just about have to take a flyer on a skilled guy that big, in the second round if nothing else.

Game footage is really hard to come by, he was a bench warmer in Europe (as most kids are). Though he was an absolute force in the Nike Hoops Summit, completely changing the game. But then again so was Saer Sene.

The early returns from workouts is that he's banging pretty hard. I actually think he might be worth our lotto pick.

http://www.draftexpress.com/blog/Jonathan-Givony/

While DeAndre Jordan and JaVale McGee are refusing to conduct workouts with certain teams drafting outside of the lottery (McGee’s mother foolishly won’t let him visit anyone past 12 from what one frustrated team told us), there is no shortage of workout warriors on the prowl looking to take their spot in the teens portion of the draft. One of those is Alexis Ajinca, who may be working himself into that 12-14 range, based off the workouts he’s having.

One executive who recently watched him expressed shock at his combination of physical tools (7-1 in shoes, 240 pounds, with a near 7-7 wingspan), coordination and agility. “If he were in college, let’s say at Nevada instead of JaVale McGee, he would be a sure-fire top 10 pick,” the executive noted. “He’s bigger than McGee, and he’s also more skilled…with that length, he is going to be able to bother some people for sure” Ajinca is answering question marks about his toughness by not backing down from anyone he’s faced so far, particularly in an outstanding workout in Charlotte where he matched up with Jordan, McGee and Roy Hibbert. His experience playing against grown men all season long in the French league is certainly showing in workouts so far it seems.

Pretty big red flag there about McGee, who already had a questionable motor.

 

[AriesMar27]

maybe.... whats the worst that could happen? who would we really be missing out on?

 

[Bricklayer]

The early returns from workouts is that he's banging pretty hard. I actually think he might be worth our lotto pick.

Well that's obviously not happening. Reaches on that type of player start coming in around 20-25+, especially with Koufas and Hibbert lurking around as well.

 

[OptimusRhyme]

Well that's obviously not happening. Reaches on that type of player start coming in around 20-25+, especially with Koufas and Hibbert lurking around as well.

We are looking for star potential Ajinca has it, Hibbert and Koufas dont.
Unless someone drops for us expected in the top 10 I say why not..
we would have two multi skilled 7 footers (Hawes, Ajinca) one a potential defensive beast and one a potential offensive beast. Of course if we can move down in the draft and grab him it would be a better scenario but if not I say just take him with 12..honestly id rather have him over Arthur or Speights. just too much skill already laced with too much potential.

 

[beb0p]

I saw some game footage of Aljinca. He was playing for the national team against some very inferior competition so naturally he looks good. But from what I remember, all he does is set a screen, roll to the basket. Set another screen, roll to the basket. You get the idea. He's basically a role player a la Mikki Moore.

Defensively, he parks himself in the lane and plays goalie all game long. I think the 3-seconds rule is going to drive him off the wall. But even against inferior players, at no point did I ever say to myself: this guy is a star! Likely because he harder ever gets the ball and he never asks for it. He is probably the #4 or #5 option on the team.

That's not to say he isn't good or that he wasn't underused or he hasn't improved since then. Just that I always thought of him as a Johan Petro type.