Tidjane Salaun shows why he could immediately earn a rotation spot

The Charlotte Hornets drafting Tidjane Salaun with the sixth overall pick in this year's draft was met with mixed reactions. His potential has been evident for a while, but some people are of the belief that the youngster would need time to develop into an NBA-level contributor.

Still, there has been no doubt about his talent. John Hollinger of The Athletic (subscription required) even reported recently that three other teams would have considered picking Salaun in the top 10 of the draft had the Hornets passed on him.

Regardless, the prevalent school of thought had been that the 19-year-old would become one of the franchise's projects. There could be a seismic shift about that notion, though, as he has proven in the preseason that he deserves to be considered for a spot in Charlotte's rotation as soon as the regular season starts.

Tidjane Salaun's positional versatility has been on full display

One of the knocks on Salaun's game was that it was unclear what position he would thrive in in the NBA. He appears to be a natural power forward, although he has the size to be slotted in the center position in the NBA today.

However, the preseason has shown that he could also play small forward if needed. Salaun started in Charlotte's latest matchup against the New York Knicks, flanking Miles Bridges and Nick Richards in the frontcourt. After Bridges sustained a minor injury and was benched to start the second half, Grant Williams was given the nod.

It appeared that the coaching staff was willing to experiment with various lineups featuring Salaun in different positions. He finished the Knicks bout with 13 points on 3-8 shooting from beyond the arc and a team-high eight rebounds.

Considering how comfortable the Frenchman has looked shooting from the outside, dribbling the ball, and moving on the court, he should be able to play on the wing or down low.

Salaun has been one of the squad's MVPs in the preseason despite experiencing some growing pains. He should continue getting more chances to shine and develop, as the Hornets could decide to sit out some of their core players against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday for health reasons.

Of course, it is just the preseason, and the regular season would be a different beast. But it still bodes well for the Hornets that their rookie has looked ready to contribute right away. He may have to bide his time a bit, although injuries or shipping away other rotation players via trade later in the campaign could result in the versatile teenager receiving more minutes.