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Prospect Scouting Report: Melvin Ajinça

Charlotte Hornets fans will be familiar with that last name. The then Charlotte Bobcats selected Alexis Ajinça with the 20th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft because of his “potential” before people really understood what that word means. That Ajinça never panned out in Charlotte, but the Hornets could try to take another bite at that apple by selecting his younger cousin Melvin Ajinça.

Measurements

Height: 6’7.25″
Wingspan: 6’7.5″
Standing reach: 8’10.5″
Weight: 214 pounds
No step vertical: 26.5″
Max vertical: 31″

Strengths

Outside shooting, energy, 3&D potential

Any team that drafts Melvin Ajinça will do so for his outside shooting and 3&D potential. He made 35.7% of his 3-point attempts last season, but that number doesn’t do justice to his shooting talent. Saint Quentin ran a lot of sets to get him looks coming off screens and other actions that result in tougher shots, and he hit those shots at a decent clip. He has a confident, fluid, left-handed stroke. He showed the ability to hit jumpers off the dribble and has a passable step back form behind the 3-point line that is useful in late shot clock bailout situations.

He plays with a lot of energy and desire, which will have teams bullish on his ability to fill a 3&D role. He doesn’t generate a lot of stocks, but he plays with a lot of intensity on the defensive end of the floor and gives good effort containing ball handlers and contesting shots.

His high motor works against him sometimes, as he can play a little too fast on offense and overhelp on defense, but on the whole it’s a positive trait that a good coaching staff can meld. He helps on the glass and gets out and runs in transition. You’d rather try to rein in overexuberance than try to make someone try harder.

Question MArks

Feel for the game, rim pressure

Ajinça is a gunner in every sense of the word. He averaged just 1.1 assists per 36 minutes for Saint Quentin. His confidence in his shot can work against him, as he settles for tough jumpers, and his shot selection isn’t necessarily what you’d want out of a role player. If initial looks weren’t there, he’d tend to dribble into step back jumpers. He can hit them, but he’s not the type of player you want to be relying on to shoot those shots with any regularity. Defensively, he tends to get caught helping when not needed (though some of that may be scheme) and leaves himself a lot of ground to cover on closeouts. He only generated 0.1 blocks and 0.7 steals per 36 minutes.

Part of the reason that Ajinça settles for so many tough jumpers is that he can’t get to the rim in half court situations. He didn’t test out that well at the combine, and that shows when he’s forced to put the ball on the floor. He can’t turn the corner against set defenders and doesn’t have the change of pace or tight handle to create looks for himself at the rim. He exclusively a straight line driver and needs space to finish around the basket. He always attacks at full speed, which can lead him into trouble.

Overview

The Charlotte Hornets could use some more outside shooting, and they really need more players that can shoot while also playing passable defense. Ajinça has the ability to do that should the Hornets pick him and elect to bring him stateside. His status in France also provides the flexibility to let him stay overseas for a season or two while the Hornets sort out a roster that’s constructed with too many decent but not enough better-than-decent players.

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