Last night, a 12th Frenchman took to the floor this season and it was eagerly awaited. Touched in the middle finger of the left hand, Tidjane Salaün was pawing impatiently on the bench, and Charles Lee gave him his big NBA debut against the Heat. It was the Hornets' first home outing, and the 6th pick of the Draft didn't really shine with no points scored in nine minutes, and a +/- of -10 during his appearances on the field.
“It’s good to have been able to play a little… I would have preferred a different result for this home match” the Frenchman simply reacted after the meeting. We were far from the Tidjane Salaün of the preseason (12 pts, 7 rebounds/m), but for his coach, it's just classic.
A half-time to get your bearings
“During his first stint, it typically looked like a debut in the NBA” explains Charles Lee. “From an energy and effort standpoint, it was really high. The understanding of everyone's level, actions and habits wasn't quite there in the first half, but I found that once he got his bearings, his second pass in the second half was been much better. He was more active, he helped us get rebounds and keep the ball better. »
Brandon Miller absent, Tidjane Salaün will have the opportunity to recover minutes during his next outing. It won't be until Wednesday, with the Raptors' reception. A team well within the reach of the young Hornets.
