Where does Tidjane Salaün need to improve most heading into sophomore campaign?

Expectations were rather low for Charlotte Hornets rookie Tidjane Salaün despite being picked sixth overall in last year's draft. He was the youngest player selected and had a very raw skill set that NBA teams knew would take some time to refine.

Jeff Peterson made it pretty clear early on that they would ease Salaün along and not put too much on his plate. Unfortunately, that plan was scrapped early in the season as the Hornets were stung by the injury bug once again, forcing the rookie to play more of a role than previously anticipated.

The first month of the season was hard to watch. He looked sped up, out of sorts, and overwhelmed. Toward the end of November, he put together a stretch of solid performances where he reached double figures in four of eight games. Defensively, though, it was still an adventure. Guarding his man, rotating on the perimeter, and fighting through/around screens were all problematic.

Much of that can be attributed to the lack of experience he has, but he also needs to pack on more muscle to truly put up a fight on that end of the floor.

So, what does Charlotte need from Salaün in year two?

Defensive improvement, first and foremost. His 117.1 defensive rating screams it.

Jeff Peterson, Charles Lee, and everyone in the Hornets' organization are confident in his shot-making ability. Yes, he only shot 33% from the field and 28% from three, but he showed spurts of being a capable scorer, which is all you could really ask from him in year one.

He won't be a polished product offensively for a while, so until he is, he needs to make up for it on the other end. He can't be a liability that every team looks to attack when he's on the floor. Having better defensive help around him will go a long way as well, which is on Peterson and the Hornets' front office.

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