Hornets rookie Tidjane Salaün learning on the fly. How he plans to start acing tests
Channeling the imaginary cinematic director in all of us, and tipping a cap to a moment that lives in infamy, Charles Lee hinted at a potential future sighting.
Tidjane Salaün hadn’t played yet in a regular-season game for the Charlotte Hornets despite the team’s litany of injuries and the subject was broached with Lee, leading the first-year coach to explain if Salaün could soon make his debut.
“As the great Kevin Garnett said, ‘Anything is possible,’” Lee said heading into last weekend. “So, yes, that’s a possibility. Tidjane has been working hard every day. I’m so proud of the young fella. I think as we’ve kind of gotten out of that preseason mode, though, and you’re into practices and your practices aren’t as long and you can’t get every rep, he’s going to have to find different ways to stay engaged.
“And so it’s on our staff to make sure he’s growing at the right rate.”
That’s because for the outset of his rookie season at least, meaningful minutes are going to be sporadic for Salaün, even with Brandon Miller nursing a strained left glute and Mark Williams’ foot injury. Lee finally summoned the Hornets’ 2024 first-round pick off the bench in Saturday night’s loss to Miami, breaking the seal on Salaün in a sense.
The Frenchman was thrilled to get the chance he longed for after registering two DNP-Coach’s decisions on the Hornets’ road trip to Houston and Atlanta. Re-watching the footage didn’t bring that same level of enthusiasm.
It’s not like Tidjane Salaün was trying to keep in tune with the theme of the week and catch a scary movie or two leading into Halloween. But let’s just say that while the viewing experience didn’t horrify him, cartwheels weren’t spurred, either.
“It wasn’t good,” Salaün said after practice Monday, the first of two sessions the Hornets have before hosting Toronto on Wednesday. “But what I saw on the video, I had some good opportunities — like two or three times — where I could maybe shoot on the first one (touch) or maybe try to drive or create something.
“On defense, I could be in the shoot position most of the game.”
Salaün had two brief stretches in his nine minutes against the Heat, going scoreless. He took just one shot, misfiring on a 3-pointer. In his third quarter run, he received a quick education in a span of seconds at the expense of Miami’s crafty veteran Jimmy Butler.
Butler drew a foul on Salaün on one possession and collected a steal off Salaün not long after. That was the beginning of another sequence that put the Heat on a run, propelling Miami to a hefty double-digit advantage.
Still, there were inspiring signs from the 19-year-old.
“I was excited with how Tidjane responded during his second stint,” Lee said Monday. “During his first stint, it looked like it was his first NBA action, which is expected. Butterflies and nerves, and really wound up, but I thought in the second half when he got in for the second stint, he kind of settled into the game.
“He was shifting more, he got a deflection, he was rebounding. I expect him to just continue to get better and better every time he gets more reps.”
That’s Salaün’s plan. He’s to make it happen, too.
“I think it’s just about rhythm,” Salaün said. “It was the same thing for me when I came here. Now that the season started, because I didn’t play the first two games we didn’t have a practice after. So, it was like one week without practice and my rhythm on offense wasn’t good during the game, but I’m confident and positive for the next game I will have a better result for sure.
“If I’ve got the opportunity to shoot, I’m going to shoot the ball.”
He’s repeatedly being told to do just that by his teammates, who’re offering up never-ending encouragement. Particularly those who’ve encountered somewhat similar circumstances early in their career.
“Just constant communication with him because I’ve been there before,” Miles Bridges said. “My rookie year, I played my first game and then after that I didn’t play the next three games. And then I just told him to just stay ready because you never know what’s going to happen — for instance Brandon getting hurt.
“We didn’t know that was going to happen. So, he’s just got to stay ready and I’ve been on him about it. He’s a great kid. He knows how to listen and he wants to be great.”
Bridges already sees a difference in Salaün compared to a few weeks ago.
“Just him paying attention to details,” Bridges said. “In training camp it’s kind of hard for a rookie just to grasp everything. But now that he’s getting comfortable, he’s getting all the details — and his confidence. So, he’s good.”
And heeding the advice he’s receiving from the likes of Bridges and everyone else.
“They just told me, yeah, keep being confident, keep being you,” Salaün said. “And that’s it. I just know what I have to do. Stay disciplined every day and that will help me to stay positive, keep staying positive and continue to learn.”
