Noa Essengue fits perfectly into a Masai Ujiri-built team

Pass on Essengue this Wednesday, and you’ll watch him become the next “Masai missed” video topic of Raptors youtube-sphere.

Up here in The North, if there’s one way to describe Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri’s roster construction style, it’s the “Vision 6’9” mantra. However, lately, it’s been attributed to the Raptors’ greed for long and athletic forwards, which hasn’t panned out because their offense is, let’s say, “two years away from being two years away.” While there have been some misses, such as Christian Koloko, Precious Achiuwa, and Isaac Bonga, the front office has sometimes gotten it right. However, the team hasn’t given enough runway for them to bloom, as seen with Dalano Banton.

The Raptors’ front office has an undeniable eye for talent, especially when it comes to potential, and they are willing to bet on these prospects’ tools. They have now “reworked” the lab — a lab that they can trust under coach Darko Rajakovic’s care, and perhaps, the team will now have the patience to wait for that talent to bloom.

Given all of that long-winded lede, if one would think about it, Noa Essengue fits the narrative. The French teenager—still six months shy of his 19th birthday—has been busy carving out rotation minutes for Ratiopharm Ulm in the Bundesliga. The box score already reads like a Raptors prospect bingo card: Essengue is putting up 12.4 points, 5.3 boards, 1.1 assists, and 2 steals in less than 24 minutes per game (stats as of June 20, 2025, via Basketball Reference).

The raw ingredients are undeniable. Essengue measured 6’10” barefoot, with a 7’0.75” wingspan and 9’1.75” standing reach from his abbreviated 2025 NBA Draft Combine make-up, and tips the scales around 204 pounds—yet he moves like a souped-up wing. That combination of height, length and quick-twitch pop has already helped him finish the German season as one of Ulm’s top scorers while also leading the team in stocks (steals + blocks) at 2.0 per game, all while being the youngest rotation player in the entire BBL.

Noa’s Fly Zone

Essengue isn’t merely about impressive measurables—he brings a modern NBA mobility that allows him to function seamlessly within versatile defensive schemes. Whether navigating screens, quickly recovering in pick-and-roll coverage, or confidently switching onto quicker guards and stronger forwards, he demonstrates elite defensive versatility. In recent BBL playoff moments, Essengue has showcased a knack for making timely defensive stops that highlight his athleticism and sharp help-side rotations, proving his adaptability as a defender at a young age.

Beyond the measurable traits and defensive versatility lies Essengue’s high-intensity approach to every possession. He is a hustle machine: His relentless motor, willingness to scrap for rebounds, and physical engagement in the paint essentially play the role of a disruptor.

Offensively, it might be best to see what Essengue is already doing and keep our fantasies about what he could be for another day. At his core, Essengue is a rim-eating play-finisher. Watching him on the offensive end, his game screams, “Just throw it up, I’ve got it.” His fluidity and vertical pop translate even louder on the open floor, outrunning plodding fives and jamming on unsuspecting defenders like it’s a summer mixtape.

Inside the half-court, Essengue is never standing still. He’ll slip the screen, duck behind a ball-watching defender, or short-roll into space to punish the defense. He’s just as effective as a cutter and as a roll man, an active, busybody who’s always moving. It’s why Ulm squeezes 10.4 points out of just 6–7 shots a night while he hums along at 20.3 percent usage and a 54 TS%.

Noa Doubt in his game?

Noa Essengue’s jumper remains a work in progress. While he’s shown glimpses of a potential three-point stroke, consistency eludes him, as he’s currently shooting under 30% from behind the arc. Essengue’s shooting mechanics often appear shaky and rushed, rendering his shot unreliable, particularly in catch-and-shoot situations. Given how much the modern NBA values spacing, this inconsistency could limit his role unless he refines his shot. Adding to concerns about his offensive ceiling, Essengue’s shot-creation skills are still raw and noticeably a work in progress. Right now, he struggles with limited handles, rarely creating quality looks for himself, let alone for his teammates. Isolation opportunities are infrequent and awkward, while his post-up reps can be an adventure. Until Essengue addresses these weaknesses, he’ll remain primarily restricted to finishing plays off the ball rather than initiating offense himself.

On the defensive end, Essengue has all the physical attributes you dream of—a long frame, great mobility, and dynamic athleticism—but he is more of an instinctive defender, and that’s when his youth shows, when he misread or doesn’t recognize things right away, causing lapses and untimely reactions defensively, sometimes, making him look like he lacked the discipline or concentration. Lastly, Essengue’s slender build—hovering around 200 pounds—presents challenges, especially when matched up against NBA-level strength. Though wiry and able to hold his own in Europe, he’s likely to struggle with more physically imposing NBA bigs unless he adds functional mass. The goal for Essengue will be to fill out his frame without sacrificing his impressive speed and agility—a delicate balance, but crucial for maximizing his potential in Toronto’s defensive scheme.

We The NOA-rth: Essengue’s fit in Toronto

When you think Raptors basketball, a few things come to mind: Vision 6’9,” wing defensive versatility, and agents of chaos—and that’s exactly where Noa Essengue fits the picture. His ability to fluidly switch 1-4 positions makes him tailor-made for Coach Rajakovic’s defensive schemes. It appears the Essengue could easily be a 3+D player at the NBA level, granted that the Raptors have more than the Noah System to help fix his shot. He’s already an instant fit off the bench as an Agent of Chaos — Picture it: a swarming, flexible defensive wing ready to disrupt opponents and ignite transition offense. The upside is where things can get intriguing. Can the Raptors unlock his game even further, improving on the OG Anunoby/Mikal Bridges 3+D mould, and arm him with high-level self-creation and playmaking?

Speaking of offence, Essengue’s current role at Ulm should serve as a good template of what to expect from him until he taps into his full potential: a defined, low-usage role that thrives on cutting off-ball, attacking the rim on rolls, and sprinting the floor in transition. He won’t be asked to initiate the offense or playmake for the most part, so he should be a play-finisher who flourishes off opportunistic buckets.

Essengue’s appeal also aligns with Toronto’s recent focus on having a patient, development-focused path to the developmental runway for their young prospects. At only 18 years old, he steps into a Raptors pipeline renowned for turning raw, athletic prospects into critical pieces to the team’s success. Players like Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby once occupied similar developmental timelines, proving Toronto’s system can cultivate elite NBA talent.

Essengue’s professional experience and contributions on the floor intriguingly reveal high potential, adding to the allure of his youth. You can almost overlook the floor where he may just be the type of player we are seeing right now, nothing more. Toronto’s front office is no stranger to these calculated gambles, comfortable embracing the unknown for the chance at unlocking greatness down the road.