After a fantastic week on an individual and collective level, Tidjane Salaün must continue this great dynamic. It starts this evening against Strasbourg, as part of the Top 16 of the Basketball Champions League. It was discreet statistically, but our eyes still liked a lot of things. The only real problem? That we don’t give him the ball enough. Frustrating.
A hard-won and well-deserved qualification last week, against Sassari. Cholet Basket offers us a few more opportunities to take advantage of Tidjane Salaün in the European Cup, and we are not going to miss it. The evening duel is Franco-French, since CB faces Strasbourg. The Ti’ has already played them in the championship, but had only scored 2 small points. Time for revenge? The context lends itself to this. Note the presence of Illan Pietrus in the SIG group, another French prospect from the 2005 generation. A little match of nuggets, we’re going to enjoy it!
Warm up time for Tidjane Salaün ????
Kick-off at 8 p.m.! @TrashTalk_fr pic.twitter.com/bvav6d2Ddu
— Nicolas TrashTalk (@niclsvrg) January 24, 2024
From the start of the game, we notice Tidjane’s activity without the ball. Quite a few non-carrying screens, races to really annoy Hugo Invernizzi, his official defender. The energy is good, just open the path to the circle. If Cholet takes the lead defensively at first, it is not his fault, since his reading of the game allows him to intelligently double up on the ball carrier when necessary.
Issue ? He doesn’t touch balls offensively. Well placed, often open, but little (not served). Inevitably, after several minutes without firing, the first attempt from afar failed to break the plexiglass. It’s when he really gets to grips with his counterpart that it hits hard. Crossover, spin move, the defender takes a one-way ticket to Puy du Fou and Ti’ finishes it off with a touch. That’s good, it’s exactly the moment chosen by Cholet to wake up and take the lead. Damn, there’s still noise in the Meilleraie.
Crossover chained spin move, finish while touching the circle. The defender left to visit Puy du Fou there.
Tidjane Salaün is SMOOTH! ????
Randall artillery from afar, Nzekwesi hard in the paint, Cholet returns to the race. (23-26)
— Nicolas TrashTalk (@niclsvrg) January 24, 2024
Illan Pietrus came in in the meantime, a little 3-point shot in the corner and then leaves. The moment chosen by Salaün to return to the field is like that. Again and again this absence of balls given, and then a foul scratched when he hits. We’re replacing one, but his defensive placement is good and his assist management is already impressive. The 3-dot address is not there, but the rest is. And we take it without blinking an eye.
Returning from the locker room is more complicated, the address has not improved by far. Defensively, Salaün’s movements are a bit less sharp. He leaves after five minutes, the evening is not worth remembering statistically, despite flashes which reveal all his talent. During this time, the match is just fantastic. Cholet takes a breath of fresh air and comes back, the atmosphere is magnificent. The end of the match is ultra-tense, Laurent Vila – the CB coach – chooses to leave Tidjane, less visible, warm on the bench. He finished with 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals in 20 minutes. Once again, what frustration not to see it used in the painting, not to see it used enough in short. He KNOWS how to do it when you trust him. And that’s all the more unfortunate.
2024-01-24 21:03:00
#Tidjane #Salaün #discreet #Strasbourg #ball
