Projected NBA lottery picks and potential Spurs targets Zaccharie Risacher, Tidjane Salaun and Nikola Topic met with the media while in Italy.
Feeling awestruck by the athletic exploits of Victor Wembanyama is, apparently, not reserved solely for the average mortal. Even someone like Tidjane Salaun, a long-limbed 6-foot-9 teenager whose eyes rise to rim-level on dunks, is often floored by the way his fellow Frenchman stretches the bounds of possibility.
“He makes the impossible, possible,” Salaun said Tuesday on a Zoom availability during the NBA draft combine in Treviso, Italy. “Victor is an inspiration for not only basketball players but for all the sports in France. And that’s great for all of us. He inspires me every day.” SPURS NATION NEWSLETTER: The best Spurs coverage in Alamo City, delivered to your inbox Later this month, Salaun will officially join Wembanyama in the NBA. He might even book the same flight to San Antonio. Mock drafts have the 18-year-old French pro going anywhere from No. 5 to No. 12 – the Spurs pick at No. 4 and No. 8. Salaun wasn’t the only prospective Spurs lottery target who spoke with the media this week with the June 26 draft approaching. Serbian guard Nikola Topic and rising French wing Zaccharie Risacher also provided some updates from Italy. Here’s what that trio had to say. Zaccharie Risacher, 6-9, F, 19, JL Bourg Risacher was named the 2024 EuroCup Rising Star and has emerged as a key contributor for JL Bourg, which competes in France's top pro league. He's in the conversation to become the second straight Frenchman selected first overall. The 6-8 wing said he has not yet met with anybody from the Spurs, though he noted their presence during this past season. 'I know the Spurs were there for multiple games in France in bulk to see what I’m doing on the court. But right now I have not met with anybody. I was just focusing on playing in the games because that’s a tough part of the season, maybe the most important. I guess my agent just talked to everybody he needed to talk to. But I was just focused on the game. I don’t know yet which team but I can’t wait to find out.' Risacher added that he's pleased to see all the hard work pay off while rising to the top of draft boards. Most analysts now belive he'll be taken within the first three picks. 'That’s the reflection of my whole life of work,' Risacher said. 'I’m a versatile player. I know I can do a lot of things. Whatever a coach wants me to do, I know I can do it. I showed it this year. And I know I can do more than I did this year. And I play tough. I don’t want to lose. I’m a winner. I feel like the toughness when you’re playing basketball is something important, too. So I can do a lot of things. I can be technical, but usually toughness and playing hard and competing with everybody.' SPURS DRAFT PROFILE: The case for Zaccharie Risacher Tidjane Salaun, 6-9, F, 18, Cholet Basket Salaun is another late riser who has drawn praise for his dogged play against pros. The 6-9 forward was named the FIBA Champions League's best young player and averaged nine points, four rebounds, 1.4 3-pointers, 1.2 steals and one assist in 22.7 minutes as the league's youngest rotation player. The main knock against Salaun is that he's still raw and lacking some fundamental skills, particularly on the offense end. He's been working to address those issues ahead of the draft and said he'd been in contact with the Spurs. 'I would like to improve on my dribble and to create more situations for me and for my teammates,' he said. 'And efficiency.' While Salaun wasn't asked about Wembanyama, he did respond to a question about one current French star he's been inspired by. “Rudy Gobert because he comes from Cholet Basket, the same club I play for,” Salaun said of the four-time NBA defensive player of the year.. “So he was an inspiration. I saw him all this season in our gym on a poster. And every game, when we walk out I saw him . And to see where his now is an inspiration for me.” Nikola Topic, 6-6, G, 18, Crvena zvezda Topic's stock unfortunately took a hit this week when he was confirmed to have a partially torn ACL. According to ESPN, Topic will travel to the United States this week to be evaluated by NBA team doctors. He's still viewed as a lottery pick with future All-Star potential as an offensive initiator, though the injury could give some teams pause. On Tuesday, about 24 hours before news of his injury broke, Topic said he had not spoken with any Spurs' front office members or scouts but had met with the team doctor. SPURS DRAFT PROFILE: The case for Nikola Topic 'I have talked with their doctor, but nothing else,' Topic said. '. If I go to Atlanta or to San Antonio or to Detroit, my approach is the same. And that is to be the best that I can be and to make everybody around me better.' Hinting at the severity of the injury, Topic said he had been limited to rehab since reinjuring his knee in late April in Game 1 of the Adriatic League playoff finals. 'First of all, I’m working on my rehab with the knee injury,' Topic said. 'That’s the main focus right now, to feel good with my knee, feel good with my body. After that I’ll work on basketball. I’ve been in the weight room. It’s not 100 percent healed. I haven’t started running or practicing with basketball. The focus is on my body, mainly.'
NBA JL Bourg Champions League Cholet Basket FIBA Crvena ESPN Adriatic League Zaccharie Risacher Zaccharie Risacher Tidjane Salaun Nikola Topic Frenchman Wemby Eurocup Rising Star All-Star Rudy Gobert France Italy Treviso San Antonio French Alamo City Serbian United States Atlanta Detroit Topic
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