Eye of the Tiger: The Tidjane Salaun Thread

[HornetJail]

Continually strikes me as surprising that folks have completely given up on Tidjane. He doesn't turn 20 until August.

is it "giving up" if there was never anything interesting about him to begin with?

There needs to be something to point to if you're going to draft a guy #6 overall and pay him a rookie contract north of $7M per year. some skill, or if not that, some insane athleticism or physical trait.

If Salaun was 7'1, or ridiculously strong, or wildly athletic, I'd be more on board just waiting it out to see if he could develop something, but there just isn't anything here. Being 19 isn't anything because he isn't particularly notable at anything for a 19-year-old.

We have Dragan Bender except he's 4 inches shorter

[KembaWalker]

Tidjane was what I expected. He had a few good games and some bad ones. In a draft that was absolute garbage outside of Castle, it’s not too bad to swing for the fences. Plus, the guy’s a worker, lets seen what he does in year 2.

There’s a big difference between swinging for the fences and Tidjane. His absolute ceiling is a mid 30s% spot up shooter and rebound hustle guy that’s too heavy footed and slow processing to be an actual high level defender. Swinging for the fences implies there is a chance for a home run. They swung with their eyes closed for a chance at a single

[Bassman]

I’m not giving up on Tiddy…what choice do we have? I still hope he fools all of us doubters. I do wish one of those 3 teams that drafted 6 thru 10 would offer us a trade of their mid range first round pick this year for Tiddy and one of our 2 seconds. I’d do that in a heartbeat. But they aren’t and won’t. Whatever temptations they “may” have had were bathed in the reality of how raw he was, and is.

So we are stuck with him. Therefore I am very much PULLING for him to miraculously gain amazing skills he currently doesn’t possess, have his BBIQ leap upward by mid season and find springs for verticality.

[EmpireFalls]

I still have yet to hear anyone concisely and accurately describe what talent he has for the game. He has a wonky looking shot with the highest arc in the NBA which goes in less than a third of the time, he is not a good athlete, he is just tall, but completely incapable of playing near the basket due to lacking instincts, touch, and explosiveness, so what advantages does his height really grant him?

He has no game whatsoever and will be out of the league before 2030.

[HornetJail]

I still have yet to hear anyone concisely and accurately describe what talent he has for the game. He has a wonky looking shot with the highest arc in the NBA which goes in less than a third of the time, he is not a good athlete, he is just tall, but completely incapable of playing near the basket due to lacking instincts, touch, and explosiveness, so what advantages does his height really grant him?

He has no game whatsoever and will be out of the league before 2030.

this is it for me. If Tidjane was a 2nd round pick, he would've never gotten converted from his two-way contract and would probably be back in France already... maybe another interested team signs him to their summer league/training camp roster this summer.

What's the best he looked all season? "hey remember that 3-4 minute stretch in that one Cavs game where he had a couple good defensive sequences and splashed a pair of 3s that had no business going in whatsoever?" I am pretty confident that if you gave every NBA player of the last twenty years 1,200 minutes in a season, they'd produce one moment of that caliber by accident.

[Heelsfan119]

Tidjane was what I expected. He had a few good games and some bad ones. In a draft that was absolute garbage outside of Castle, it’s not too bad to swing for the fences. Plus, the guy’s a worker, lets seen what he does in year 2.

There’s a big difference between swinging for the fences and Tidjane. His absolute ceiling is a mid 30s% spot up shooter and rebound hustle guy that’s too heavy footed and slow processing to be an actual high level defender. Swinging for the fences implies there is a chance for a home run. They swung with their eyes closed for a chance at a single

I don’t think it’s as dire as you paint but we’ll clearly know if a couple years.

[MPM]

Tidjane was what I expected. He had a few good games and some bad ones. In a draft that was absolute garbage outside of Castle, it’s not too bad to swing for the fences. Plus, the guy’s a worker, lets seen what he does in year 2.

There’s a big difference between swinging for the fences and Tidjane. His absolute ceiling is a mid 30s% spot up shooter and rebound hustle guy that’s too heavy footed and slow processing to be an actual high level defender. Swinging for the fences implies there is a chance for a home run. They swung with their eyes closed for a chance at a single

I don’t think it’s as dire as you paint but we’ll clearly know if a couple years.

Don't you know? End of days around here. Nothing we can't turn into locust swarms and fire from the skies. Our hopelessness is biblical, baby.

[Hornet Mania]

No reason to give up on him now, although I agree there's also very little reason for optimism aside from youth and blind hope.

Let's see how he looks in summer league. I'm not quitting on a teenager after one year, at this point it's due diligence to at least see if he can turn it around with some summer development time.

[Diop]

I’m not giving up on Tiddy…what choice do we have? I still hope he fools all of us doubters. I do wish one of those 3 teams that drafted 6 thru 10 would offer us a trade of their mid range first round pick this year for Tiddy and one of our 2 seconds. I’d do that in a heartbeat. But they aren’t and won’t. Whatever temptations they “may” have had were bathed in the reality of how raw he was, and is.

So we are stuck with him. Therefore I am very much PULLING for him to miraculously gain amazing skills he currently doesn’t possess, have his BBIQ leap upward by mid season and find springs for verticality.

this is it for me, and why are we still complaining about the pick. they took a swing on a prospect, and it wasn't outrageous like when the Bucks took Thon Maker, other teams wanted him top 10 as well. Acting like we picked Bagley over Doncic, i get there were players after who have done better but none are home runs.

[JMAC3]

The takes in this thread about Salaun being a 2nd round pick talent despite all the credible information out there is full denial by some posters. Vecenie final big board had him 11th, Hollinger saying at least 3 other teams wanted him top 10... but lets ignore all that. It was all a giant smokescreen to fool Jeff Peterson lol....

These are real takes that are getting thrown around lol.. Vecenie and 3 other GMs were in on it just to troll the Hornets. Mkay fellas.

[HornetJail]

The takes in this thread about Salaun being a 2nd round pick talent despite all the credible information out there is full denial by some posters. Vecenie final big board had him 11th, Hollinger saying at least 3 other teams wanted him top 10... but lets ignore all that. It was all a giant smokescreen to fool Jeff Peterson lol....

These are real takes that are getting thrown around lol.. Vecenie and 3 other GMs were in on it just to troll the Hornets. Mkay fellas.

a team like the Spurs feigning interest in a prospect in an attempt to keep us from trading down and Memphis (picking directly behind them) from trading up is much less far-fetched than you think it is.

[JMAC3]

The takes in this thread about Salaun being a 2nd round pick talent despite all the credible information out there is full denial by some posters. Vecenie final big board had him 11th, Hollinger saying at least 3 other teams wanted him top 10... but lets ignore all that. It was all a giant smokescreen to fool Jeff Peterson lol....

These are real takes that are getting thrown around lol.. Vecenie and 3 other GMs were in on it just to troll the Hornets. Mkay fellas.

a team like the Spurs feigning interest in a prospect in an attempt to keep us from trading down and Memphis (picking directly behind them) from trading up is much less far-fetched than you think it is.

Right the Spurs is 20% of the puzzle.
There were at least 2 more teams that had Salaun high according to reports.
Vecenie who has sources in NBA front offices had him 11th.
The Hornets selected him 6th.

Again, nothing about this says Hornets were on an island and gaslit into taking a 2nd round prospect.

[KembaWalker]

JT Thor archetype + Wemby adjacent French prospect overhype + trash draft + awful drafting team at 6 = Salaun taken at 6. It’s really that simple. They blew it

[JMAC3]

Salaun is an enticing long-term prospect, showing glimpses of promise on both ends of the court with plenty of room for growth and development.

Salaun, who won't turn 19 until August, is set to be one of the youngest players in this draft class. His play this season is increasingly positioning him as a potential lottery pick, drawing attention for his upside as a shotmaker, finisher, and versatile defender.

Salaun’s impressive combination of size, athleticism, and a strong work ethic, has made him a highly regarded prospect among international NBA scouts.

Focus Areas for Summer
Shooting Consistency and Ball handling

Salaun's game is still in its raw stages, and his confidence often lead to questionable shot selection. Given his tendency to be streaky rather than consistent as a shooter, it's crucial to prioritize improving his outside shot during the summer. His occasional displays of shotmaking, particularly given his size, are promising, and refining his jump shot could elevate him as one of the top long-term prospects in this class.

Dedicating a significant amount of time to working on corner 3s would be my suggestion, while engaging in daily one-on-one showdowns against his pre-draft peers, with a heavy focus on improving his ball handling and creating space, could unlock the shot-making flashes we've seen over the last 18 months.

Film Study - Tobias Harris

Saluan's trajectory could mirror that of Tobias Harris. Harris, now in his 13th NBA season, entered the league as a 19-year-old rookie who initially saw limited playing time, averaging around 11 minutes per game in his first two years. However, by his third year, Harris had developed into a 17-point-per-game scorer and a high-level NBA starter.

Similarly, Salaun may follow a comparable path. He's young and raw, likely needing a couple of years to develop before making significant contributions to winning. Harris struggled with his three-point shooting early in his career, and Salaun may face similar challenges. However, with time and development, he could evolve into a reliable floor spacer, much like Harris, who has five seasons of shooting 38% or better from beyond the arc on his resume.

-Rafael Barlowe

[MPM]

Conspiracy theories. So juicy and impossible to disprove. Assuming for a moment that the Spurs were playing to their (somewhat undeserved) stereotype - 4D chess with Salaun as the pawn - what was the goal? To draft Dillingham who was mocked end of lotto and trade him? Makes zero sense. What makes more sense is they targeted Salaun, figured he would easily be there at 8, and when he wasn't found a deal to trade out of the pick.

[KembaWalker]

Spurs at least makes sense because they can afford to burn a pick to get Wemby a buddy to talk to. Instead we take him and put him in a locker room full of idiots that post videos chain shopping while other teams are training together

[MPM]

Spurs at least makes sense because they can afford to burn a pick to get Wemby a buddy to talk to. Instead we take him and put him in a locker room full of idiots that post videos chain shopping while other teams are training together

Despite the FO/coaching chatter, culture remains my main concern with the Hornets, and I could be persuaded that raw prospects in need of development may not be the smartest choice for a team lacking maturity (Ball, Bridges) and/or a track record of maximizing player potential. I hope things have changed but far too early to tell.

[LofJ]

This is wholesome. Get rid of Miles and this is kind of thing that would actually rehabilitate the reputation of the organization.

Read on Twitter

[EmpireFalls]

Spurs at least makes sense because they can afford to burn a pick to get Wemby a buddy to talk to. Instead we take him and put him in a locker room full of idiots that post videos chain shopping while other teams are training together

Despite the FO/coaching chatter, culture remains my main concern with the Hornets, and I could be persuaded that raw prospects in need of development may not be the smartest choice for a team lacking maturity (Ball, Bridges) and/or a track record of maximizing player potential. I hope things have changed but far too early to tell.

This is a big reason why I’m hesitant on adding Ace “I ain’t got no weaknesses” Bailey from the below .500 Rutgers team to the young core.

Seems like a good kid who could learn from some established, hard-working vets, but could also go the other way and pick up some bad habits on a losing team. I wonder which one we are …

[GoBobs]

Salaun is an enticing long-term prospect, showing glimpses of promise on both ends of the court with plenty of room for growth and development.

Salaun, who won't turn 19 until August, is set to be one of the youngest players in this draft class. His play this season is increasingly positioning him as a potential lottery pick, drawing attention for his upside as a shotmaker, finisher, and versatile defender.

Salaun’s impressive combination of size, athleticism, and a strong work ethic, has made him a highly regarded prospect among international NBA scouts.

Focus Areas for Summer
Shooting Consistency and Ball handling

Salaun's game is still in its raw stages, and his confidence often lead to questionable shot selection. Given his tendency to be streaky rather than consistent as a shooter, it's crucial to prioritize improving his outside shot during the summer. His occasional displays of shotmaking, particularly given his size, are promising, and refining his jump shot could elevate him as one of the top long-term prospects in this class.

Dedicating a significant amount of time to working on corner 3s would be my suggestion, while engaging in daily one-on-one showdowns against his pre-draft peers, with a heavy focus on improving his ball handling and creating space, could unlock the shot-making flashes we've seen over the last 18 months.

Film Study - Tobias Harris

Saluan's trajectory could mirror that of Tobias Harris. Harris, now in his 13th NBA season, entered the league as a 19-year-old rookie who initially saw limited playing time, averaging around 11 minutes per game in his first two years. However, by his third year, Harris had developed into a 17-point-per-game scorer and a high-level NBA starter.

Similarly, Salaun may follow a comparable path. He's young and raw, likely needing a couple of years to develop before making significant contributions to winning. Harris struggled with his three-point shooting early in his career, and Salaun may face similar challenges. However, with time and development, he could evolve into a reliable floor spacer, much like Harris, who has five seasons of shooting 38% or better from beyond the arc on his resume.

-Rafael Barlowe

Watch on YouTube