This year’s draft is full of unknowns. Trying to project what the prospects in this class will develop into is the equivalent to playing darts blindfolded. You may hit bullseye or you may put a hole in the wall. The only way you know is take take your best shot and Charlotte did that by taking the youngest player in the draft, Tidjane Salaün.
Charlotte may be in a rebuild, but they’re not in a position where they’re going to have to put a lot on the 18-year-olds plate. They will allow him to develop in Greensboro while also getting some action here and there with the big league club.
What type of player can he be once he becomes more of a regular in Charlotte’s rotation? According to Danny Chau of The Ringer, he has shades of Aaron Gordon and Chandler Parsons.
“After trading P.J. Washington to the Mavericks this past trade deadline, Charlotte found itself in need of more versatility at the forward spots. And you can see Salaun becoming a Washington-type power wing. Salaun looks like an NBA player. He plays hard. He turns 19 toward the end of the Paris Olympics. He has the best frame in this draft class, at 6-foot-9 with long arms and broad shoulders that should be able to put on plenty of muscle in the coming years. The broad outline of skills suggest a 3-and-D combo forward, but his build could afford him the opportunity to play as a switch big as he gets stronger. But Charlotte’s developmental plan will have to be rigorous: There’s a long way for Salaun to reach the vision the team has in its mind’s eye.”
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