Pacôme Dadiet InterviewBy: Eric Guilleminault

What position do you, did you play back then when you were there?

Pacôme Dadiet:
I was playing the point guard position mostly.

EG:
You, you also have an older brother.  Maxence Dadiet a player who has played in the professional French league play in FIBA for the Ivory Coast.

Has he influenced your basketball journey? And if so, how so?

Pacôme Dadiet:
Yes, he influenced me a lot, of course, because, you know, when you have a big brother is that’s like your first favorite player.  So I started, I started when I was born, it was already playing basketball. So it was the first sports that came to my mind when I when I wanted to play  any sport.

So yes, he’s still giving me a lot of advice and I respect him, so I listen to him a lot.  And so yes, he influenced me a lot.

EG:
Going a little further down the line,  you’re, you play your first professional game. On the 1st of October, 2021, at 16 years of age, you’re playing for Paris in the Fe French Betclic Elite league against JDA Dijon.

How did that moment feel for you?

Pacôme Dadiet:
It felt great, but it was,  I think I played, I remember that game. I played the last few moments of that game. It felt good, of course, but I think the, the, the game I remember the most. Was a French Cup game when I actually had some playing time because it was a second division team  and I was scoring my first points and I remember dunking on someone and stuff so it was  Probably one of my best memories to this day.

 EG:
One of your favorite memories. Nice. Nice. Yeah. You’ve, you’ve gone through some professional adversity already at a young age. The kind, I kind of want to give a context to some of this NBA draft media audience that may not know you as a prospect for too long. It’s  2022.  Your basketball growth as a player and a prospect is building with your performance at the ANGT in Petras, Greece.  And then you head for the U 17 World Cup playing for France.  But then something happens. You suffer a minor injury on your hand, thumb.  And you only, in the second game versus Canada, you don’t go back until the quarterfinals. You play well, you score. In the quarter finals you score 12 points, but you can tell that it affects you a little bit right? Like it doesn’t, it’s not exactly like had you not had the injury.

And then that same summer you decide to transfer to Ulm, which you are now at, but it turns into a more difficult transfer than anticipated. In fact, that last game where you won the bronze for France is the last game you’ll play in 2022, which was in July. You don’t play again for  Ratiopharm until January 2023.
Take me back there in that period of time where what did you do  in those times where you didn’t play any games basketball wise?

Pacôme Dadiet:
It was very frustrating. Of course.  because I had to wait and be very patient. It’s not just like when you’re injured,  when you’re injured, you know, you can’t play, but I could play. I just I just had to wait. So it was frustrating, but  I couldn’t control anything.  So I just, I just got in the gym.

Honestly, I just, I just worked. That’s all I could do. I worked with Jimmy Rhoades a lot. I spent a lot of time with him  and I was still practicing with the team,  even though I was not playing.  So it was a great opportunity to still, still compare me to other players.

EG:
And I’m sure that sort of adversity will help you out in the future and when you have adversity moments in your preference.

Pacôme Dadiet:
Yes.
It made me, it made me better.

EG:
Okay. Now let’s take it to this season,  this season where you had enormous more media, great. Put yourself back on the put yourself on the map for the 2024 NBA draft and you have a great game the 29th of December against, and I’m going to miss say this name because my German is terrible. Mitteldeutscher scoring 17 points and getting four rebounds in 17 minutes.

Then, you play in Eurocup versus the French club, Bourges en Bresse, which I can pronounce better. On the 6th of February, 2024,  And there’s a lot of scouts. I’m sure there’s a lot of scouts at all your games, but there, you know, there’s going to be a lot of scouts at this game because you’re also, it’s a Euro cup game.And they’re also there to see Zaccharie Risacher, which is also a big draft prospect in this 2024 draft. And you score 15  points going six for nine in 16 minutes. What did you get out of those performances?

Pacôme Dadiet:
It’s two. I think it’s the two best games of the season for me.  But they’re very different games for me.
They were very different because in the first game against NBC, I really felt like every shot was going in,  like every every  three, every two like mid range, everything. So it was easier to play the game,honestly, against Bourg, it was, it was a little  difficult because my shot would, I was not feeling as good as against NBC, so I had to find another way to score.
I scored a lot of,  off cuts, you know, off balls, off ball cuts and stuff.  So just grabbing rebounds putting it back in and stuff like that. So they were two very different games, but it’s my two best games of the season.

EG:
And statistically speaking, those seem like two of the best games that you had this season.
Let’s talk more about the draft.  People that are going to see this later on. For those who have never seen you play, how would you describe your game?

Pacôme Dadiet:
I would say I’m naturally a scorer, but I improved a lot of my defense this season. So I guess I can guard  multiple positions from the point guard position to the four man. And I can also create for others, you know, play pick and roll.  Yeah, I would say that’s pretty much it.

EG:
And again, for the draft heads out there,  do you know what your last measurements are in terms of height, wingspan, standing reach? If you don’t, it’s okay, but

 Pacôme Dadiet:
I just, I know I’m 6’9 right now, but I don’t know, I don’t know my wingspan

 EG: okay.
Most players don’t. But us draft people aren’t really into that sort of stuff. We get into the nerd/ analytics stuff. When you watch film of yourself,  what are you looking for?

Pacôme Dadiet:
When I watch film, I mostly watch defensive clips.  So I try to pay attention to details, you know, when I’m not guarding the ball. And my assistant coach, Tyron McCoy, he’s given me a lot of  You know, little details defensively on how I can, you know,  I can get my job easier. So yeah, I would say mostly defensively.

EG:
Is there a player or players who you watch and try to take some of their moves and implement them to your game?

Pacôme Dadiet:
Yes, I watch I watch Paul George. I watch DeMar DeRozan  for his mid range game mostly just, you know, how he gets to his shot and stuff.  I feel like he’s one of the best in this area, so I try to watch him as much as possible.  And I watched T Mac,  Brandon Ingram, just because, you know, he’s tall, so he’s a guard.

Yeah.

EG:

I watched some film of you, obviously, before this interview. And there, you have a move that not a lot of players have.  You have a move where you, you’re dribbling down, going to the free throw line extended to get your shot. If  you can’t make it all the way to the rack,  You stop and if you can’t immediately take the mid range shot, you reverse pivot, kind of use your body to shield off the opponent and use some footwork to either get a leaner floater or a leaner shot.

Is that a move you have always had like growing up or is that something you’ve really worked on?

Pacôme Dadiet:
I think I always had it, but I started really working on it a year and a half, two years ago.  Because people were telling me that I was tall. So when I, when I extend my shot, like when I go up on my shot and I extend my arms, it’s really hard to block that shot.

Even  like, especially when I, when I, when I had a little bump before, before my shot and I turn around, it creates even more space.  So not a lot of players can block that shot.  So I just try to work, work on it as much as possible.

EG:
Okay. For Ulm, you’ve been sort of playing a hybrid forward, playing the three and four.
At the NBA level, where do you see yourself playing positionally to start out your career?

Pacôme Dadiet:
Yes. So I played the four because of injuries.  But I see myself as a three and a shooting guard. So, you know, I’m coming from the point guard position. So.  For me, naturally, I’m more, I’m more comfortable in the  three and, you know, shooting guard position.

 EG:
Oh, like you said earlier, being able to play multiple positions, always a great asset to have on a team. What are some of the things you hope to continue to develop by October 2024?

Pacôme Dadiet:
So I hope to develop more in my, On the defensive end, mostly, and just being more aggressive to the rim,  you know, I feel like I can do, I can do a better job on that and have the, just the athletic abilities to, to, to be better.

EG:
The season ends May 9th, but congratulations, you’re in the playoffs, right? So you’re playing. And that goes from May 17th all the way to June 17th. The NBA combine is May 13th and 19th, and the draft is June 26th and 27th.  How do you stay steady with the task at hand with your club and know that the NBA workouts are right around the corner for you?

Pacôme Dadiet:
I’m just, I’m just practicing with the team. I’m still focused on, you know, practicing with the team and being better as a group.  But I also, I also work with Jimmy Rhoades and I will do my, my pre draft pre draft workouts with Adam Harrington. So  he’s in contact with Jimmy Rhoades and we’re just working on getting ready for the NBA workouts.

EG:
What would playing in the NBA mean to you?

Pacôme Dadiet:
It would just, it would be amazing just because. You know, I started playing basketball at a young age, so  I watched a lot of NBA. My family too.  So it’s, it’s not only my dream, it’s, it’s my family dream too. You know, my dad played a little bit. My brother too.

Nobody, nobody went to the NBA, unfortunately.  So I would be the first one. It would be amazing, not just for me, but for everybody in my family.

EG:
Okay. Now some more fun questions. Okay. Not including yourself  or any other draft eligible guy this year. Who’s your starting five for the 2024 men’s French Olympic basketball team?

Pacôme Dadiet:
I would say:
Élie Okobo  first, Sylvain Francisco, Bilal Coulibaly, Wemby at the fourth, and Rudy at the five. position.

EG:

Do you win the gold?

Pacôme Dadiet:

Yes.

EG:
Okay. I also saw in some of your interviews that you like making hip hop beats in your free time.

Pacôme Dadiet:
Yeah.

EG:

Who’s your favorite producer? And what’s your most played song in April?

 Pacôme Dadiet:
I haven’t done any beats in a while, but I just, I just love music in general. So I don’t know. I don’t know if I have a favorite producer, but I have a favorite artist.

EG:
Okay. Who’s your favorite?

Pacôme Dadiet:

I would say Young Thug is my favorite artist.  Yeah. He’s my favorite for sure.

EG:
Any, and let’s say for the French audience, favorite French artist.

Pacôme Dadiet:

A lot of them.

EG: Okay.

Pacôme Dadiet:
Maybe Ninho. Ninho,  I guess.

EG:
Pacôme, thank you for your time. I really appreciate your time. And  have a great end of season. And looking forward to hearing your name in June.

Pacôme Dadiet:
I hope so, yeah. Thanks for having me