The Charlotte Hornets have gotten off to a bit of a rough start to the 2026-27 season, winning just three of their first 10 games in the new campaign heading into their Monday night clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Their offense has been downright bad, ranking dead last in the NBA with an offensive rating of just 99.7, and they seem to be missing LaMelo Ball, the driver of last season's fifth-best offense.

But on Monday, despite the absences of both Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, the Hornets earned a statement win over the similarly struggling Cleveland Cavaliers, 124-112 in a game that wasn't as close as the final score line would suggest.

A big part of why Charlotte was able to dominate Cleveland was the strong play of Tidjane Salaun, who scored 14 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting display in the first half as they took a 16-point lead into the halftime interval. And during his midgame interview, the young forward beamed with confidence all while knowing that he has plenty of room to grow still.

“I'm always at 100%. Just trust the process. That's why I'm here. That's why I was on the court. I deserve it. I just played the right way. But I gotta be better defensively. I gotta be better. That's it,” Salaun said, via Hornets Reddit on X.

"I'm always at 100%. Just trust the process. That's why I'm here. That's why I was on the court. I deserve it. I just played the right way. But I gotta be better defensively. I gotta be better. That's it."

Tidjane Salaun 🗣️

(via @hornets ) pic.twitter.com/w4exxUqjxO

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 10, 2026

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Salaun did not add to his scoring tally in the second half, but the damage was already done. He provided a spark for the Hornets coming off the bench, and it's this kind of game that make his potential as a multi-dimensional two-way forward that tantalizing.

But finally, the important thing is that the Hornets offense finally showed signs of life, and against a good team like the Cavs as well. The goal now for Salaun and company is to build off of this performance, buying just enough time for both Miller and Knueppel to recover from their respective injuries.