TBILISI (Georgia) - Nathan Soliman had lofty expectations coming into this year's FIBA U16 EuroBasket. Despite his young age, the French forward has long been a well-known prospect in scouting circles, having made his international breakthrough in this same competition two years ago.
At just 14 years old, he played a key role in France's bronze-medal run, averaging 8.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
Now considered one of the top players in his age group, Soliman not only lived up to those expectations but exceeded them during the Group Phase, averaging 18.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.0 steals per game, ranking in the top five in all three categories.
In this Player Spotlight, we take a closer look at Soliman, the most recent product of France's seemingly inexhaustible talent mine, and what his flashes in Tbilisi can tell us about his future at the professional level.
Breakdown
The first thing that stands out with Soliman is his physical profile. He's listed at 2.03m, but he plays bigger than his size, while simultaneously having the fluidity and coordination of a smaller player. With his truly elite tools, Soliman has made an impact across the board in Tbilisi, imposing himself physically around the rim as a scorer, rebounder, and defender.
This combination of size and fluidity makes him a consistent threat as a slasher. Soliman often operates from the outside in, catching the ball in the paint or in the high post, and then creating drives against heavy defensive contact, where he can just move opponents off of their spots with his toughness and fluidity.
Soliman, however, doesn't rely solely on strength to get to his spots. His coordination and poise to navigate tight spaces allow him to get to his spots in the paint. He's creative and patient with his footwork, utilizing fakes and spin moves that allow him to get defenders off balance on his way to the basket.
The next step for him in this area will be improving his touch and finishing versatility on tough shots. Soliman has shot 56.7 percent from inside the arc during the Group Phase in Tbilisi which, despite being a solid mark, could be even higher given his elite physical tools. The French forward can miss seemingly easy layups when he's rushed or gets thrown off-balance, and improving in this area should be a priority for a player who thrives with his aggressive slashing.
Fortunately, Soliman's impact isn’t limited to his drives, and one of the aspects that has stood out in Tbilisi has been his passing ability. He has shown a natural feel for the game, consistently making the right play on the move.
The French forward generates a tremendous level of gravity as a slasher and he's consistently looking and finding teammates with kick out passes to the perimeter or with threaded passes to teammates in the dunker spots, where he uses his elite size to see over the top of the defense.
One aspect that remains a work in progress is the jumpshot. Like many prospects at his age, Soliman alternates between flashes of versatile shot-making off the dribble and off-days, like him going 0-for-5 from three-point range against Slovenia during the Group Phase.
While he's shooting just 22.2 percent from beyond the arc, it's encouraging that he's attempting difficult jumpers and that he has continued to increase his volume from three since his first FIBA competition.
It's too early to predict what type of shooter he will become at the next level, but there have been some promising signs in Tbilisi.
Soliman also makes an impact on the defensive end of the floor. With his size and length, he's able to come up with rebounds and contest shots around the basket. He doesn't play as a full-time rim protector and lacks the elite size for the five position, but has been a presence as a help defender, rotating towards the paint every time there's penetration, so he can contest shots as a help side defender.
On the perimeter, he has shown impressive moments as an on-ball defender, using his elite size, strength, coordination and lateral mobility to stay attached to drivers and contest their shots effectively. He's also been a disruptive off-ball defender, getting in passing lanes and coming up with steals at a solid rate.
There are some slight adjustments he will need to make — he could have more urgency and better positioning defending closeouts — but overall, the tools and instincts are there for Soliman to develop into a positive defensive contributor down the line.
Outlook
Soliman is proving that his pre-tournament rank as one of the top prospects in Tbilisi is well deserved. He’s been extremely productive in the Group Phase, averaging nearly a double-double, while showing an impressive combination of size, ball-handling ability, passing vision, and two-way impact, making it easy to envision him thriving at the professional level.
It's still early, but when you take into account how much time and room he has to grow, both physically and skill-wise, it's hard not to be excited about Soliman's future as a potential staple of the French national team and an NBA prospect a few years down the line.
FIBA