Hornets vindicated for taking a chance on French youngsters

It hasn't been a month into the 2024-25 regular season, yet the Charlotte Hornets have already seen several key players spend time in street clothes.

An omen even greeted the franchise when it was reported that Mark Williams was going to miss at least two weeks of action due to a strained tendon in his left foot. That was over six weeks ago, and there is still no clarity on when he will make his season debut.

Making matters worse on the injury front is that two starters, Brandon Miller and Josh Green, have also spent time on the injured list. In addition, two more starters have joined Williams on the sidelines. The center's replacement on the starting lineup, Nick Richards, and forward Miles Bridges are also expected to sit out two weeks. Who can blame the fans, though, if they find it hard to believe that's all the pair will be missing?

A couple of French youngsters have stepped up for the Hornets

With a thin frontcourt depth and limited means to add reinforcement via free agency despite some intriguing names available on the market, the Hornets have to rely on their current players. Fortunately, some of them have stepped up, including Tidjane Salaun and Moussa Diabate.

Both French hoopsters arrived in Charlotte this offseason. Salaun came through the draft, with some folks questioning whether selecting someone who was projected then as a raw prospect was the right move for a team that has barely registered winning seasons in recent years. Meanwhile, Diabate was brought in via a two-way contract after failing to impress in his first two campaigns in the league playing for the LA Clippers.

Fast forward to today, the duo has been entrusted with considerable playing time and has made the most out of it.

Stats-wise, Salaun still has a lot to work on, especially since his shots haven't been falling, and his 3.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game leave much to be desired. Even so, he secured a starting stint on Friday against the Indiana Pacers, and his energy and effort on both ends of the court deserve commendation.

As for Diabate, the big man has been one of the Hornets' best rebounders and rim protectors this year. He played splendidly against the Pacers, recording 15 boards (eight in the first half) and three blocks. What made his performance more impressive was that he attempted zero shots from the field and finished with a plus/minus of +34.

Despite laying an egg on Friday, the 22-year-old has actually been a pretty efficient scorer this season, converting 58.8 percent of his shots.

It remains to be seen if the French tandem will still get significant burn once Charlotte's main guys recover from their respective ailments. However, the youngsters have likely had the coaching staff earnestly thinking about it.