2024 Draft: Jeff Peterson Media Availability | 6/26/2024

2024 Draft: Jeff Peterson Media Availability | 6/26/2024

Jeff uh just overall Salon What attracted to you what was attracted from um you know his play you see sure um I can’t tell you guys how excited I am that we got tan he’s uh he’s the guy who we had organizational alignment and conviction in uh from the very beginning and you guys heard what uh what Charles was saying yesterday we want guys who give it an effort night in night out guys who compete um he’s the youngest player in the draft a ton of upside Great Frame uh I was fortunate I got to go to Europe a couple times this season to see him and spend some time with him he’s an amazing amazing human being and I know he’s going to uh you know do everything in his control to maximize himself what kind of long-term project is yeah I think look I I never want to sit here and limit a player you don’t know you know ultimately you don’t know right in terms of of how good they can be so I think that’s a little bit unfair but again like I just said I know he’s going to maximize himself cuz he he he works I just got off the pH with him and he’s like I can’t wait there to to start working right now so he’s very very anxious um he’s going to put the time in the waight room on the court uh we’re very fortunate to have Charles and his staff who you know they take pride in Player Development so I just think the the marriage between tjon and our staff is going to be beautiful what are some of hiss yeah just his competitive Spirit every single play he is he’s an urgent competitor especially on the defensive end he’s flying around he’s again he’s ath a letic so he can um alter shots he’s getting loose possessions um creating deflections you know he he’s just and he’s very selfish excuse me selfless uh which that’s going to fit well with uh with what we have here as well je doesn’t work that kind of just sell you guys more on what you already knew about yeah it uh if anything I’d say it confirmed I try to you know kind of what I was saying yesterday in terms of context you know workouts just a small piece of the uh the equation uh it matters you know quite frankly a lot of it too it’s the time that we got to spend with him off the floor when he was here in Charlotte for a couple days which just again it just reaffirmed how how good of a person he is and he’s about all the things that that you know what we’re creating here in Charlotte just a curious Point did you guys even entertain any trade offers or yeah you know it’s my job obviously you have to look at everything so had some some um conversations about moving up conversation about moving back um of course ultimately we stayed put and um again I he that’s who we wanted you know again we had the the conviction from the from a couple days ago that that’s who we were targeting so I couldn’t be more thrilled that we have him Jeff from your perspective we’ve seen a lot of players from Europe particularly in this draft and particularly from France what is it about that League that has made so many people interested in all those players yeah I think look France they have a ton of just the pedig of players that come from that that country right starting of course Tony Parker and Boris di Evan forier like Rudy go the list goes on um so it’s uh it’s a it’s a great place for basketball they’ve done a tremendous job in terms of just um you know capturing Talent at a young age and just continue to develop um so I know anytime I go to Europe to to watch a game in France I know that most of the time it’s going to be a competitive environment um and you know again TJ on being being one of the youngest excuse me the youngest player in the draft uh competing against grown men night in night out it just gave me that much more confidence that he was the guy what is the I guess positive and negative because you have to deal with that balance of a guy who’s so young so undeveloped but there’s obviously the attraction of The Upside yeah excuse me again you guys are probably going to get tired of me saying it but he he’s about all the right things I I’ll take someone who who competes who works um you know who who’s unselfish uh and who’s going to give everything they have every single day that that that effort that’s required to be great um so I think with that of course given his physical attributes um and he has a a good skill level as well um and then of course you uh you bring Charles into that equation and I’m going to bet that they uh they’re able to do something special here je what is what is happening over in France that I mean you look at what’s happened during the draft the last few years I mean what do you think is happening basketball wise over there so many guys are being drafted so high yeah I I think look they love the game um that country truly truly loves the game and all those young you know this generation now has has had the example of again of Tony and Boris and um Evan fornier Nick Batum Rudy go like they’ve it’s a very very strong country when it comes to basketball so I just think this this younger generation they’ve grown up and they’ve seen it and they’ve loved it and um those those guys have been great role model role models for them some people say that they’re playing the game the right way over there what do you think yeah I I would agree with that I think um you know again they they take pride in terms of sharing the basketball um and it’s a very um contagious style of basketball if you will so excuse me in terms of you know there’s plenty of possessions where tjon he he makes the extra pass he may be open and he has an open shot but his teammates has a little bit of a cleaner look um and he’ll make that pass so things like that possessions like that give me a ton of confidence Jeff would you make any calls to get back in the first round again tonight uh again yeah we we we we considered a little bit of everything we I made some calls had some incoming calls so um that’s my job right even though you don’t act on it you got to be prepared for everything you talked a lot about his competitive Spirit especially defensively I know he’s got a high motor offensively specifically what’s the skill set there that you really like that maybe he can provide right now and then of course yeah I I think look I’m I’m encouraged by his shooting um um he you know he he he shot very well from the free throw line he had a stretch in in the season where he shot at very well from the three-point line um of course he came in here to Charlotte’s work out uh I have confidence that he will be able to stretch the floor um you know again as I said he’s unselfish there’s plenty of possessions where he grabs a rebound and he’s able to push and and make a play for his teammates uh again he’s not a finished product by any means he’s again he’s the youngest player in the draft so it’s going to take some time but there are plenty of possessions where he shows flashes that are very encouraging think yeah I I would I would guess that that part part uh translates sooner um he again he he just he competes he sacrifices his body uh he’s not afraid to be physical he does a pretty good job without fouling um which is rare for a young player um again he offers RI protection he can switch he can play you know guard on the perimeter so I think there’s a ton of Versatility there and obviously that’s where the league is these days how do you anticipate the split time for Salon in Greensboro and on the NBA roster I it’s so hard to so hard to anticipate that right now again as I’ve saying earlier I I never want to limit a player or put that like he may come in and he plays a ton with the Hornets or some you know he may split some time I it’s too hard to tell right now how does he fit in with the other young pieces of the core that you guys have here and mamelo and Brandon both in terms of shortterm this season and longterm yeah I I’m encouraged with that fit again I think you know with lamelo and Brandon they’re both young as well right and and of course tjon he’s he’s very young so I think just it’s going to be excited to see them grow together uh obviously all different positions um you know a couple things that they have in common though they they all want to be great they work they put the time in and um again I’m really encouraged to see what those three can can do uh uh over the course of their their careers here in Charlotte you kind of infer that he was the the target all along is that to say if you had the number one pick he was he was top of your board or something like that yeah he was he was very high on our board yep he was to have really improved the last few years ever since um signing with the 21 team how how exciting is that to see a guy has made such major strides as quick as he has years it’s very encouraging and again I think he’s just scratching the surface but I I know the only reason he’s been able to improve at that rate because he he’s he’s a maniacal worker again I just called the phone with him and it’s I can’t wait to get there to work he doesn’t want to do anything else he just wants to play basketball and work and put the time in so I uh again I’ll be able to sleep at night knowing that that’s that’s his makeup I’m familiar you guys put thiser together next we or it it’s look he’s just he’s another piece of the puzzle um it’s my job and of course the rest of the front office to go figure out you know what what uh what other pieces we need but uh again he’s I would kind of look at it separate he’s going to we have a development plan for him and and we’ll continue to address the rest of the roster at a later time and what familiarity do you know that he has not only with Charlotte America how excited is he about that part of the opportunity he he’s very excited he uh yeah he doesn’t have a ton of exposure to to America um but he’s very excited to get you know get here get here to Charlotte um he’s EXC he’s excited to be in New York right now of course to to see what that looks like but again he’s just he’s a low maintenance kid he just loves the gym and he’s ready to get here to Charlotte and you expect them to participate in the summer league and everything yeah I do I do excited about that as well do you have any desires for tomorrow I’m desires for what I’m sorry just like in the draft like would do you have anything that you really look targeting yeah again I I think it just all goes back to what Charles was saying yesterday just effort competitive makeup um of course anytime you can get somebody with positional size right that’s always a bonus uh threshold of skill um depending on what the position is uh so those are a few few things that you know I’d like to look for you said you had organizational alignment on this election you got a report that Steve Clifford was really high on Salon you know what was his influence on this pick and just how high was he on Salon according to you yeah Cliff cliff was definitely high on on salon and that’s the beautiful thing about Cliff no you go and I said listen I need you to watch a handful of players and give me your opinion um and he freaking knocked it out in like two days he’s he’s amazing um but yeah it’s you know that gives you a little bit um of confidence just that you know Cliff’s been around the game forever so uh it certainly helps that he uh he saw what with the rest of us all as well he’s clearly a young he’s clearly a young player but is there anybody you kind of remind you of at this stage super ra but would you compare to like you over time yeah it’s again I just go back to his his core characteristics and his traits um I don’t want to really compare him to to anyone I think uh I I just know that those traits usually tend to lead to success in the NBA so thanks thank you guys

Limited 2024-25 Memberships Available Now: https://www.nba.com/hornets/tickets/hive-society

👀 SUBSCRIBE HERE 👀 https://www.youtube.com/hornets?sub_confirmation=1

📱 Follow us on social! 📱
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hornets
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hornets/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hornets/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hornets/

👕 Get Your Merch! 👕 http://www.hornetsfanshop.com/

#LetsFly35