The Hornets officially welcomed Tidjane Salaün and KJ Simpson to Buzz City.
Jeff Peterson cited the pair’s love for the game and willingness to work as the main reasons for their selection. “Tidjane and KJ were two players we targeted prior to the draft. They’re extremely unselfish, work, love to compete, and have an amazing outlook and approach.”
Tidjane’s upside made the No. 6 pick a “no brainer” for the Hornets. The 6-foot, 9-inch forward has shown flashes of elite two-way potential, with a hunger for the game that matches his skill-set. When asked about his first thoughts on the city of Charlotte, Tidjane replied “When I first came here, my first thought was where is the gym?”.
Charles Lee shares Jeff Peterson’s optimism for Salaün, highlighting how he plans to use the 18-year old forward in his system. “[Tidjane’s] size and athleticism to be able to sprint the floor, create cross-matches, his versatility to be a screener and rolling threat that can catch lobs. I was very impressed with his pre-draft workout while watching his shot, it looked sharper in person than on film”.
KJ Simpson’s shooting prowess didn’t come naturally. The 6-foot, 1-inch guard jumped from 27.9% to 43.4% from his sophomore to junior season, locking himself in his hometown gym to weed out his offensive deficiencies. Simpson also noted how his feel for the game has evolved over time. “The biggest thing for me was understanding my change of pace. I was used to going 100 miles per hour, but I had a learning curve…I watch guys like Chris Paul, Steve Nash, and Tyrese Maxey…they play fast but know how to do it in spurts.”
Charlotte’s two draft picks embody the traits and direction the franchise is moving toward. Adding “culture enhancers” was at the top of the list for the front office, hoping Salaün and Simpson can inject their infectious spirit throughout the team.
Despite newfound optimism around the franchise, Hornets Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, Jeff Peterson, is keeping a realistic timeline for this team’s window of contention. “Our timeline doesn’t change. We’re going to be diligent and opportunistic. We’re not going to try and make the playoffs for one season and then miss the playoffs for four, five seasons in a row after that. We want to get there and have sustained success.”
With the Las Vegas Summer League less than two weeks away, Hornets fans won’t have to wait long to see the debut of not only Salaün and Simpson, but also, new head coach Charles Lee.
