Wild Card Factor: Unexpected Hornet Who Could Significantly Alter Expectations

The Charlotte Hornets have been talked about a ton this offseason, and for good reason. They had a wild summer, to say the least. They project as worse now but potentially better in the future. However, they have an insane amount of depth and shooting.

Much of the focus has been on the frontcourt, where they suddenly have a ton of viable, versatile players.

Hannes Steinbach, Moussa Diabate, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Naz Reid, and Grant Williams could all play more than 20 minutes a night. They kind of all deserve at least that much. Royce O'Neale and Dorian Finney-Smith could force minutes at the four, too.

It's all very fascinating, but everyone's ignoring a frontcourt player who could be a total wild card. Because if Tidjane Salaun takes another step forward, he could totally alter expectations both now and in the future.

Salaun had an absolutely dreadful rookie season. To be fair, he was always drafted as a G League developmental project, but injuries forced him into NBA action too early. He spent a lot of time in the G League in year two, and it was better for him.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) drives against Charlotte Hornets forward Tidjane Salaun | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The traditional numbers still aren't great, especially not for the sixth overall pick. But the underlying metrics and advanced analytics paint a different picture. They portray someone who was quietly solid in limited action, which is a monumental step forward.

Salaun went from a -11.9 net rating in 2024-25 to a 2.1 net rating in 2025-26, which is a huge development. That's a good rating. His offensive production leapt to a 113.2 offensive rating, which ranked ahead of guys like Ryan Kalkbrenner and Collin Sexton.

His true shooting mark might represent the most encouraging step forward. He went from an abysmal, historically bad 45.7% mark in 2024-25 to 62.9% last season. Putting aside the massive jump, that's a solid number on its own.

The only things that didn't improve were his assist numbers, but otherwise, he got significantly better. If he can continue that trajectory, it changes things for the Hornets.

As it stands, he isn't being factored into the rotation very much, partly because of his performance but also because of the incredible depth down low. But if this keeps up, he will force his way into the rotation and the future plans of the Charlotte Hornets.

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