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The good, the bad, and the ugly from Tidjane Salaün's return to Greensboro

Breaking down Tidjane's 2025 G-League debut.
Matt Alquiza|
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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Charlotte Hornets

After a disappointing start to his sophomore campaign, Tidjane Salaün was assigned to the G-League to log consistent minutes against lesser competition in the hopes of honing his skills. The partnership between the Swarm and the Charlotte Hornets has proven fruitful as a number of players (i.e: Nick Smith Jr., KJ Simpson, and Moussa Diabate) have cut their teeth up I-85 before coming back to Charlotte as improved hoopers.

The Swarm opened their 2025-26 campaign with a pair of games against the Maine Celtics, and Tidjane featured heavily in both. Let's dive into the second-year forward's performances.

The good: Offensive decision-making and shooting

Although the results varied, Salaün generally made the right decision when he possessed the ball this weekend. He drove when there was an open lane. He fired away when he had a look at the basket. And he kept the ball moving when neither of those options were available to him.

Those are simple things, but they're notable for a player who very clearly lacks the elite feel for the game that the greats need.

In two outings with the Swarm, Tidjane knocked down six of his 13 three-point attempts, good for a 46.2% clip. His form looks noticeably cleaner after a summer of work in Charlotte, and the clean mechanics have paid dividends.

Most notably, Salaün cashed the game-winner on Saturday, banging home a step-back fadeaway three from the corner.

Salaün being able to knock down threes at above a 38% clip with the Hornets would be huge for his overall impact on winning basketball. He has a long way to go in his quest to become a well-rounded two-way player, so being able to be great at that one skill would be a nice building block when he inevitably makes his return to the big leagues.

The bad: Finishing around the rim

This has been a pain point for Tidjane dating back to his days as a prospect in France.

Far too often (as I detailed this summer) Tidjane makes himself small when attempting to finish at the rim. Instead of exploding up and through contact, Salaün minimizes his frame in the air, opting for finesse up and under finishes or scoop layups that are easily defended by big men who play with verticality.

It's going to take a change in mindset or some built in counters for Tidjane to improve this aspect of his game. He was called for a pair of charging fouls in Saturday's game, and on one possession, instead of flying into a set defender, Tidjane stopped and popped a soft floater that fluttered through the basket for two of his 19 points. Progress, but just still a blip in the overall radar that is his long-term development.

The ugly: Everything on defense

If Salaün is far away from being a winning player on offense, he's lightyears away from getting there on defense. The second-year Frenchman has desirable tools to defend at a high-level, he just can't maximize them quite yet. The flashes are there, it's all about making them consistent.

On the ball, Tidjane is too hyperactive. His feet, hips, and eyes are never in concert, making him an easy target to attack one-on-one.

Off the ball, Salaün continues to struggle with over-helping, making him a liability in a team defense context that needs to play on a string.

The ugly defensive moments carried over from Charlotte to Greensboro, continuing a troubling trend for Salaün's long-term potential.

The time in Greensboro is going to be a net positive for Tidjane. He's so raw that it would be nearly impossible for it not to be. As the losses keep mounting for the Hornets and the franchise continues to look toward the future and past the present, the development of their first-round pick in 2024 remains paramount, making these games mega important for the next few years of Hornets basketball.

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Matt Alquiza
MATT ALQUIZA

Email: Malquiza8(at)gmail.com Twitter: @Malquiza8 UNC Charlotte graduate and Charlotte native obsessed with all things from the Queen City. I have always been a sports fan and I am constantly trying to learn the game so I can share it with you. I survived 7-59. I survived lost the Anthony Davis lottery. I survived Super Bowl 50. And I believe that the best is yet to come in Charlotte sports, let's talk about it together! Enlish degree with a journalism minor from UNC Charlotte. Written for multiple publications covering the Bobcats/Hornets, Panthers, Fantasy Football

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