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By Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Sports journalist
6th choice of the last draft, Tidjane Salaün logically landed in Charlotte surrounded by certain expectations. However, he did not always have the opportunity to respond to it on the ground and therefore announced the color before the end of his rookie campaign.
Unlike his compatriots Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr, he could not surf his top-pick status to harvest the playing time necessary for his progress. And yet, Tidjane Salaün seemed to have landed in an environment conducive to his development when he arrived in the NBA. Selected in 6th position of the last draft by the Hornets, he joined a young team and turned towards the future.
A description which then fully corresponded to his profile, still raw but very talented. However, his playing time under the orders of Charles Lee has changed regularly. Capable of using it for more than 30 minutes in certain matches, and even making him a holder, Charlotte's coach also sent him several times in G-League. Suffice to say that it was not the stability that marked the French rookie season.
Tidjane Salaün reveals her goals before her first NBA off -season
While his frankness saw an end of the season without real stake and deplores the absences of several of his stars, Salaün takes the opportunity to scrape minutes. This Wednesday, it was even as a starter that he started the match against the Raptors, in which he cumulated 9 points and 6 rebounds. The young winger nevertheless knows that he will have to spend a studious summer to last in the NBA and declares to Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer :
Tidjane Salaün : I would like to continue to develop habits that allow the team to win matches. To be faster in defense while remaining able to block the player on which I am in marking and in attack, play my game, try to improve my handling of the ball and my smuggler qualities and do simple things. And above all, be more effective. This is what I intend to do.
It is true that Salaün has not been impeccable in recent months, and in particular in terms of his address. Its averages of 33.8% in shooting and 28.9% at 3 points indeed leave to be desired and risk threatening its future in the United States very quickly. It would therefore be better that it charcoons in this area during the offseason, which he obviously intends to do.
A positive omen, all the more knowing that the competition he faces Charlotte should strengthen in the coming weeks. The Hornets indeed have one of the three worst assessments of the League and should therefore inherit again a nice choice of Draft. The potential arrival of a Cooper Flagg, which evolves significantly at the same position as the international tricolor U18, would not help the latter.
Aware that his first season in the NBA has not proven to be sufficient, Tidjane Salaün already affirms that her off -season will be under the sign of work. A good omen for him and for his deductible, which only asks to see him explode.
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