What can the Hornets do with their pick
Their options will be limited due to a lack of depth in this year's draft class
CHARLOTTE — It’s the time of year when Hornets fans excitedly search up mock drafts, pick odds, and potential pick trades. Although the draft lottery is over a month away and the Hornets’ last five games likely won’t impact their standing in the draft order, college prospects are declaring for the draft, and many agents are sniffing out the Spectrum Center as a home base.
It’s true, the Hornets have been pretty bad this year. They’re 19-58, third-worst in the league behind the Wizards and the Pistons. Between 50-point losses, free agency questions, financial concerns, and frequent injuries, Charlotte has had some pretty poor luck going into the offseason.
However, the draft is one of the few times in the year that the worst teams are finally calling the shots. And Charlotte has the potential to call a lot of them. Tankathon.com gives Charlotte a 13.2% of getting the #1 pick, and the Hornets are guaranteed a top-seven pick regardless of how the lottery shapes up.
New Hornets GM Jeff Peterson has a lot of important decisions to make in this offseason — the future of LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Brandon Miller, and more — but the draft may be the most important one.
If we’re talking about this year’s draft class, Alexandre Sarr is a name you cannot miss. A 7’1 big with a 7’4 wingspan, he has the agility and versatility to become an elite defensive prospect. The overseas prospect averages 1.5 blocks and 0.4 steals per game on limited minutes. He covers a lot of ground on the defensive end, and his ability to contain smaller, agile guards makes him someone worth looking at. He’s been described as “a wing trapped in a center’s body.” Although he is raw, he’s still very young and shows a lot of potential to be a very intriguing prospect.
Many have also praised the 18-year-old’s mentality in the face of adversity. “I spoke with Sarr for about 30 minutes at his hotel the morning after Perth’s second and final game against the Ignite,” The Ringer columnist Kevin O’Connor wrote. “I found him to be mature, with strong self-awareness about his strengths and weaknesses.
Sarr’s interior presence will help the Hornets a lot. The Hornets are in the bottom five in blocks, while they allow opponents to shoot nearly 50% from the field. Especially with the questions surrounding Miles Bridges’ future, he could be a great addition in the frontcourt. A key question is whether he can find a jumper. He shoots less than 30% from three with the Perth Wildcats, which has crippled his offensive capability. If Sarr can shoot the ball, he can not only stretch the floor but also become really dangerous on offense.
Nikola Topić is also someone you’ll want to look out for. He’s 6’6 and 190 pounds. He gets to the rim consistently with his handles and speed, and he shoots 68% at the rim. His ability to get downhill hill goes well with his knack for playmaking and vision.
The Red Star Belgrade guard does have some questions about his scoring away from the rim. He shoots just 28% from three and his jumpshot makes it hard for him to pull up from midrange, while there are questions about his defense. However, his ability to create shots for both teammates and himself, command the offense, and play multiple different roles could make him an exciting pick.
There are still some options for Charlotte if they slide down the board. One of them is breakout Kentucky freshman Reed Sheppard. Although scouts didn’t rate the four-star recruit highly at the start of the year, his incredible performances for the Wildcats have catapulted him into the top five — and in some mock draft’s first-overall slot.
Sheppard can do nearly everything. He’s a nice defender — a menace, a nuisance, often disrupting passing lanes, reading screens, and pestering ball handlers. He’s also a masterful floor general and a great playmaker with some upside on the three-ball. He’s also effective off the ball and stretches the floor, allowing guys like Rob Dillingham or LaMelo Ball to thrive in iso.
His 6’3 build could present some problems against bigger guards, as well as his lack of athleticism, but Sheppard has a potential future with the Hornets as a role player who adds a lot of pluses to an inconsistent Charlotte squad.
Donovan Clingan could be an enticing option for Charlotte. His 7’2 build has enabled him to become a constant presence in the paint on defense, and a threat around the rim on offense. He does everything a big should do — rebound, block shots, and score from the inside. He’s been one of the best players in college basketball when it comes to his paint instincts — UConn has relied heavily on his success at times. Clingan paired with now-first-year center Mark Williams would be a scary sight to see.
However, Clingan does face some serious questions. Although he runs the floor better and can guard smaller players coming off screens, Clingan could seriously have a career that ends up like Roy Hibbert. He shoots 57% from the free throw line, doesn’t have the advanced post moves that many modern bigs do, and isn’t really effective anywhere outside the paint. The Hornets taking Clingan with their only second-round pick would be a high-risk, high-reward gamble.