Melvin Ajinca
Frame: 6’8″, 223 lbs
Position: Wing
Team: Saint-Quentin (France)
2024 Draft Age: 20
Stats via RealGM

Offense

Ajinca is a sharpshooting wing with a strong and athletic body. He drew the attention of NBA scouts at the FIBA U19 World Cup this summer, averaging 19.3 points in 27.6 minutes of action, shooting an impressive 49 percent from three and helping France upset Team USA for the first time in a youth world event and advance to the finals. Ajinca also got to the free throw line at a solid clip, which was not previously part of his game, generating optimism for a breakout debut season at the senior level.

The transition to the pros went smoothly. Ajinca quickly established himself in a starter role for a midpack Saint-Quentin team playing in the French top division, where he currently averages ten points per game while maintaining a high-volume shooting role, taking nearly six threes in twenty-four minutes of action and still converting at sufficient 36 percent rate.

Ajinca is not just a spot-up catch-and-shoot type, but an excellent off-screen shooter who scores 1.4 points per possession in this play type, according to Synergy. He’s a 6’8 lefty with a quick release and smooth, high-arching shot that is hard for most defenders to contest. He can also hit off-balance shots and has strong potential to develop as a movement shooter.

Ajinca creates space off the bounce with pre-shooting dribble combinations and has good rhythm on deep pull-up attempts, but he’s still an off-ball player who spends most of his time in the corner. He is far less efficient as an on-ball creator, can be careless and turnover-prone on drives, and often settles for tough shots inside. Like many athletic players, Ajinca struggles with tunnel vision and is not the best decision-maker with the ball in his hands.

However, he is an active screener and mover off the ball who creates opportunities for his teammates with screening actions, especially as a back screener in Spanish pick-and-roll. He can set hard screens and move bigger opponents out of the way with Gortat screens. Physical work is a big part of his offensive game, opening up more shooting opportunities for him and his teammates.

 

Defense

Despite his length and athleticism, Ajinca doesn’t stand out in the steal/block department, but he still has the strength and mobility to bother offensive players across multiple positions. He’s not what you call a pesky on-ball defender like last year’s draft Frenchmen at his position in Bilal Coulibaly and Rayan Rupert, but ball-handlers in the French league still hesitate to test him one-on-one because of how big he is. Again, he’s used more as an off-ball defender and often plays beyond his position, helping out as a low man, so for now, you can’t really tell what he would look like against NBA ball handlers, but there’s certain optimism he’ll be adequate. 

Ajinca provides great switchability, covering ground and navigating through screens well. He’s also capable of bumping players with his chest. Though he is not a great shot blocker, he has good verticality to contest shots at the rim and strong footing, preventing him from becoming an easy mismatch inside.

Overall, he’s a net-positive defender who allows fewer points than he scores, which is a good sign for a 19-year-old playing at the professional level. Rebounding is a slightly confusing part of his game. You simply would expect more from a player of his type, but even in the youth categories, he averaged less than four rebounds per game.

Looking ahead

Unlike in other European countries, French prospects are usually NBA-level athletes, and Ajinca is no exception. The downside that also applies to Ajinca is questionable decision-making, but he fits the most sought-after player archetype in the modern NBA with his combination of size and shooting. He is big and athletic, but he doesn’t give you what you’d expect from a player of his profile in terms of finishing and rebounding, and he needs to find ways to use his physical tools in open court.

Ajinca’s impact doesn’t pop out in the stat sheet in any category outside of shooting. Still, he can become a reliable and consistent role player if his defense translates to the NBA. Partly because of his haircut, Ajinca draws a comparison to a slightly bigger version of Taurean Prince with the upside of a movement shooter.

Ajinca is very likely to generate some buzz as a potential sleeper later in the pre-draft process, and it would be interesting to see if he ends up reuniting with his cousin, former NBA center Alexis Ajinca, who is currently an assistant coach for the Capital City Go-Go (the Washington Wizards G League affiliate).