Tidjane

Salaün

Salaün was one of the stories of the first half on Monday, as he shot 4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-3 from the foul line, scoring 14 points. He didn’t provide any offensive value after halftime, but the first half was one of the best halves of basketball that Salaün has played in his NBA career. He should still only be rostered in dynasty leagues, but Salaün has scored in double figures in two straight games.

Miller left Friday’s loss to the Celtics with a sore right groin and has since been diagnosed with a strained right hip. The good news is that he’s considered day-to-day, so this may not sideline Miller for long. Tidjane Salaün picked up additional minutes on Friday and should play more with Miller out.

Salaün did most of his damage in the second half once the outcome was no longer in doubt after replacing an injured Brandon Miller, who left the contest with groin soreness in the second quarter. It wasn’t an inspiring shooting performance, especially since he was just 2-of-8 from three-point range, but he managed to get to the charity stripe a couple times during the blowout. The 21-year-old former lottery pick remains an intriguing talent, but he’s averaging less than 15 minutes for an injury-depleted Charlotte club this season. That could change if Miller winds up requiring an extended absence. He can be safely ignored in all fantasy leagues for the moment.

Miller exited Friday’s game during the second quarter with a sore right groin and is now down for the night. Tidjane Salaün started the second quarter and may slide into the back end of the Hornets’ rotation.

Over two NBA seasons, Salaün has failed to secure a consistent role in Charlotte. The absences of Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams, both recovering from hamstring injuries, have created more opportunities for Salaün, who played well in Boston. However, one performance does not make him a player worth selecting in redraft leagues.

After attempting just four shots on Thursday, Salaün was more aggressive in hunting his shot on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Hornets forward was 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. The good news was that Salaün was active on the boards, and that’s an area where he’ll need to step up to earn rotation minutes next season. Even with the Hornets moving Miles Bridges, they added Naz Reid via trade and Hannes Steinbach via the draft. As a result, there’s more competition for Salaün going into next season.

Salaün entered the league as a raw prospect and didn’t contribute much through his first two seasons, which is why he is playing in summer league in year three. He didn’t dominate during his 22 minutes, but he was solid. Still, if Salaün continues to play this summer, the hope is that he shows he’s significantly better than everyone else since he has two NBA seasons under his belt. However, it’s easy to forget that Salaün is younger than quite a few players that were drafted in the first round. There is still time for him to figure things out.

Salaün has been sidelined for over three weeks, and there is no timeline for when he will return. Regardless, he isn’t going to play much of a role when healthy, so his continued absence won’t alter the Hornets’ rotation.

Salaün’s continued absence does not affect fantasy basketball, as he is not guaranteed to play rotation minutes when healthy.

Salaün, who last appeared in a game on March 3, remains sidelined by a strained left calf. His absence does not affect fantasy basketball, as the second-year forward is not guaranteed rotation minutes when healthy.