Charlotte Hornets: Tidjane Salaun gaining confidence despite early struggles

Tidjane Salaun has not had the rookie compaign he would have hoped for thus far, but for a Hornets team far out of playoff contention with a number of injuries his development will be key for the back half of their season.

Following a brief stint with the Hornets' G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, the Frenchman has come back and played with greater confidence and aggression. In his last four games, Salaun is averaging 10.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 steals in 24.5 minutes a night. He has made shots from behind the arc knocking down five in his last four and has made plays off the bounce to get to the rim.

In his most recent outing, Salaun scored 16 points, grabbed five rebounds and contributed a block and two steals against the Nets. Most impressively, he got to the free throw line nine times and converted six while he also went 6-of-6 from the line Sunday against the Pistons. This development highlights the rookie's aggression attacking the basket using his length and athleticism to get past defenders and get to the rim.

Still an extremely raw prospect, Salaun has struggled with efficiency all season and has not improved significantly in that area. He is shooting only 31.9% from the field and 28.2% from three on the season, but his 72.0% mark from the free throw line gives reason to believe he will improve over time. With that being said, his low shooting percentage is one of the worst in the league and he will need to make strides the rest of the season for the Hornets to feel comfortable with his development.

The 6-foot-8 forward has impressive physical attributes that caught the eyes of NBA teams late in the pre-draft process. He plays with an impressive motor and has been spoken about as a highly competitive player. Salaun showed improvement with his three-point shot and willingness to let it fly as his season progressed with Cholet in the LNB Pro A as an 18 year old. His three-point shot will be a swing skill and determine if he could become a valuable three-and-d wing at the NBA level. Salaun needs to use the last 30+ games of their season to continue to grow on both ends of the floor and gain momentum heading into a big summer of development.

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