Among last season's rookies, Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls is one of those expected to take a significant leap in the 2025-26 campaign. Unfortunately for the Charlotte Hornets, only a few people likely believe that Tidjane Salaun can achieve a similar level of success this year.
It has already been reiterated enough that when the Hornets selected Salaun with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 draft, they knew they were bringing in a project player. Suffice it to say that the French youngster has been unable to surpass expectations.
However, they could have landed a much more serviceable forward in Buzelis, who went off the board at No. 11.
Funnily enough, a redraft of the 2024 class by Bleacher Report saw Charlotte choosing Buzelis instead of Salaun. No one will probably argue that the Hornets' decision was a mistake, and only Salaun can prove otherwise. To be fair, the organization hasn't indicated any regret about the matter, but Buzelis can change that beginning in the 2025-26 campaign.
Matas Buzelis is projected to be a better version of Tidjane Salaun
A simple look at the Bulls youngster's 2024-25 stats might show that he isn't that much more productive than Salaun, as he put up 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. In contrast, Tidjane averaged 5.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest.
However, Buzelis was substantially more efficient in shooting the ball, and his development in the second half of the regular season was enough to attract attention in the Rookie of the Year race. He finished seventh in the voting and secured a spot in the All-Rookie Second Team. As he is projected to remain a starter for Chicago after having held that position since early February, the Illinois native should be even more productive moving forward.
On the other hand, Salaun has yet to force the Hornets coaching staff's hand in giving him playing time and prove that his minutes on the court last year weren't just because Charlotte did not have anyone else to sub in due to injuries to other players.
Maybe Salaun can turn into a valuable role player sometime in the future, especially if he can get so many buckets that opponents have to respect his shot, create shots for himself and his teammates, and demonstrate sound defense.
The thing is, Buzelis has already shown flashes of those skills and should have plenty of opportunities to strut his stuff as soon as the regular season opens. As for the Hornets, they can only watch from afar and pray that Salaun can eventually justify their decision in the 2024 draft.