The Charlotte Hornets took a big-time swing with the sixth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, selecting French forward Tidjane Salaun. There were rumors that they could move back in the draft, but they decided to stay put and take Salaun.
In the weeks leading up to the draft, Salaun was one of the fastest risers, moving from a guy who could have been picked late in the first round to the sixth-overall pick.
The 6-foot-9 forward has all the tools to be an impressive defender at the NBA level, and during his last season in France, he finally started to shoot the three-ball well.
But by taking a reach, Charlotte subjected themselves to the potential of a bust, so let’s look at one dream comparison, one realistic comparison, and one disaster comparison for Salaun.
Dream - Peak John Collins with better defense
Hornets fans may not love this comparison, considering where John Collins is at in the NBA right now, but if he was a plus on the defensive side of the ball, he would be a completely different player.
Next to LaMelo Ball, Salaun will be able to run, cut, and catch lobs, much like it was the dream for Collins to do next to Trae Young on the Atlanta Hawks.
Right now, Salaun isn’t the best perimeter defender, and that’s where Collins is at, too. But if Salaun can improve on that end while also utilizing his length to be a pest, he would enter a whole new echelon of players.
Collins with defense has the potential to be an All-Star in the NBA, and at his very best, that’s where Salaun could be as well.
Realistic - Current Jonathan Kuminga
This may sound a bit weird, because Jonathan Kuminga is a better basketball player than John Collins right now, but the logic absolutely makes sense once it’s fleshed out.
At his best, Collins was a guy who could give the Hawks a double-double on any given night, and when you add top-tier defense to that guy, he becomes a legitimate All-Star-caliber player.
Meanwhile, the current version of Kuminga currently playing for the Golden State Warriors is a quality player, but he’s nowhere close to making an All-Star team.
Kuminga may get there in the future, but right now, he’s simply a high-level starter, and that should be a realistic expectation for Hornets fans to want for Tidjane Salaun.
If Salaun can turn himself into the pesky defender and elite athlete that Kuminga is for the Warriors right now, the Hornets would have a nice piece to play alongside Mark Williams in their frontcourt.
The point of taking a risk with Salaun at the top of the draft is the potential upside, so the good people of Charlotte should obviously be hoping for an All-Star, but sometimes, things don’t work out.
This seems like a fair middle ground to expect for a guy who the Hornets took sixth overall.
Disaster - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Oh, yes, Charlotte Hornets fans. It’s time to enter a deep, dark hole of disastrous draft outcomes, as the same issues could be coming up all over again with Tidjane Salaun.
To make this very clear, this is a disaster scenario for a reason. If absolutely everything goes wrong and Salaun turns out to be a complete bust, it feels fair to say that he could be like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
Coming into the league, Kidd-Gilchrist had all the tools to be an amazing defender. He could guard multiple positions, and once he got to Charlotte, he was pretty good on that end.
But nothing else ever came to fruition. If Charlotte isn’t able to keep Salaun’s three-point shot consistent, improve his perimeter defense, and turn him into a better passer, that’s what could happen.
Salaun is one of the youngest players in the draft, as he’s still only 18 years old. He has plenty of time to develop. But he’s a bit of a project for a reason.
He’s still very raw and will need a ton of guidance if the Hornets want him to reach his full potential. And if he doesn’t get that, Charlotte could be looking at another Kidd-Gilchrist.