Let's start with a disclaimer. When you read the title of this article, you may have thought you were about to dive into a deep explanation of why Tidjane Salaun is a much better prospect than anyone believes, and an argument that the Charlotte Hornets picked perfectly when they drafted him sixth overall last summer. To be perfectly clear, that is not the point I am making here.
When it comes to Salaun and his game, there is plenty to be skeptical about. He is as raw a prospect as they come. There are moments where he looks like a fish out of water, and even the untrained eye would tell you that he is a ways away from contributing to an NBA team at a high level. Even so, there are things to like about his upside. There are times where his three-point shooting looks easy, and there is much to like about his physical frame.
With that said, this is what Salaun was all along - a gamble. Every NBA team picking in the lottery last year knew that he was a make-or-miss prospect that could become something special some day. However, at this point in time, no one is arguing that he has been disappointing to this point, and that Charlotte would have been wiser to go with someone else in hindsight.
Jeff Peterson's risk-taking will pay off in the long-term
But when it comes to players that are "gambles," we never know these things until after the fact, do we? That is why Hornets fans have to be satisfied with the risk-taking methods Jeff Peterson and the team's new ownership has taken so far. With the sixth overall pick in their hands last summer, they could have selected a more experienced player with which they largely know what they are getting. Has that worked out for this organization in the past? Sometimes, but sometimes not.
Instead, they rolled with the wild card. Perhaps Salaun never pans out, and this pick ends up being a failure. But we know that if Peterson continues to employ this method in making draft picks, he is going to hit on one of these high-ceiling projects at one point or another. When he does, Hornets fans will be beside themselves with excitement.
This is the style that Charlotte's new management has brought since day one, and it extends well beyond simply picking in the draft. Peterson is willing to do whatever it takes to bring a winning basketball team to this city, and he knows that an overly conservative approach will get you nowhere. Whether Salaun ends up as a legitimate player in the long-term is still to be determined, but we can clearly see that the Hornets are poised to strike gold sooner or later.