Charlotte Hornets First Draft Since Return Stands to be an Important One

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The Charlotte Hornets (formerly the Bobcats) have one of the most important drafts to their team in recent memory coming soon on June 26th, 2014. After making the playoffs for the second time in franchise history, ultimately getting swept by the Miami Heat, it is especially important for them to hit on their draft picks as they are one of the NBA’s rising teams.

Oh, how could I forget? It’s also the first draft since the return of the Hornets name to the franchise in Charlotte. The two most memorable Charlotte Hornets (now the New Orleans Pelicans) draft picks were some of the best players the NBA has ever seen; Larry Johnson, 1st overall in 1991, and Alonzo Mourning, 2nd overall in 1992.

Charlotte came back into the league in 2004, however, this time as the Bobcats. As disappointing the name is the franchise’s draft history. Until recently, the franchise had more flops than they did studs (except Emeka Okafor and Raymond Felton). They’ve hit on Kemba Walker and perhaps Jeffrey Taylor, while it’s too soon into Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Cody Zeller’s development to say if they are busts. With Rich Cho hitting on his last few picks, expectations are high for him. The Charlotte Hornets have the 9th and 24th overall picks and with the 2014 NBA Draft being as deep as it is, don’t be surprised if the Hornets find a gem with both their picks.

Charlotte’s immediate need is scoring and shooting; they finished 23rd in the NBA in PPG with 96.9, 25th in three-point field goals with 516 and their three-point shooting percentage of 35.1% ranked in at 23rd. All those marks were well below average and if they hope to become a threat in the playoffs, these issues need to be addressed. Luckily for the Charlotte Hornets, the 2014 NBA Draft is full of scoring and shooting. In fact, I have one player in mind who embodies both of those necessities.

James Young.

Projected to go in the lottery in many drafts, James Young has proven himself plenty in his one and only season at Kentucky. Although he didn’t perform to the fullest of his capabilities as he was riddled through a shooting slump, Young showed flashes of brilliance, like his play in the March Madness tournament. For the year, his stats looked like:

Young would fit well alongside Kemba Walker, adding some size to their backcourt. Like Henderson, James Young’s slashing is above-average and different to him, he can shoot along with that. Apart from his statistics, Young’s attitude fits the team and I could not think of a better player in the 2014 NBA Draft for Charlotte’s system.

Besides James Young, the Charlotte Hornets could decide to draft Nik Stauskas, Zach Lavine, Rodney Hood or even Gary Harris. Although there are other options for the Hornets to pursue in the draft, it is unlikely as Young seems like the optimal player to draft with the 9th overall selection.

The player Charlotte will draft with the 24th overall pick isn’t as clear-cut as it was with the 9th overall pick. Rather than one player jumping off the board, there are a few. Rich Cho will have his time cut out for him as it may be difficult deciding who is ultimately the best player to choose with the 24th overall selection. The directions they could go for is either a backup Point Guard or another wing player as their depth is weak in their backcourt. There are four players I have in mind; P.J. Hairston, Jordan Adams, Cleanthony Early and… Shabazz Napier.

Our very own, Brendan Taylor, is a huge fan of P.J. Hairston as he covered the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League this season. He has praised his knack of scoring and range from three-point land. Hairston’s 6’5, 220 pound is sturdy so he can develop into a good defender in the NBA, which would fit Charlotte’s defense first approach. The fact that Hairston has played in the NBA D-League for a season, makes him one of the most, if not the most, NBA-ready prospect in the 2014 NBA Draft. The Hornets need a player who can contribute right from the start and they may have that in P.J. Hairston.

Jordan Adams has improved plentiful from his freshman season. As a sophomore, he became an efficient scorer (17.8 PPG on 48.5% shooting from the field), a good three-point shooter (35.6%) and improved as a defender, averaging 2.6 SPG. I could envision him as a career 6th Man with the ability to became a good starter. Charlotte’s bench is lacking scoring as they went from averaging 37.7 PPG in the 2012-13 season, to 30.0 PPG in the 2013-14 season, ranking in at 6th and 21st in the respective seasons. His athleticism may be lacking but his offensive touch will make the Hornets bench prominent once again.

Imagine Tayshuan Prince, except with darker skin; if the first person that popped up in your mind was Cleanthony Early, then you’re right. Both players have a similar build, similar statistics and both are plus defensive players. In fact, Early has the potential to be a defensive stopper at the next level with his long limbs (like Prince). In his sophomore season, Early had a fantastic defensive season, which is evident with his 92.1 defensive rating. Cleanthony Early has all the makings of a great 3-and-D player in the NBA. To go along with his defensive prowess, Early showed an improve touch from the three-point line this past season, shooting 37.5%, which was up from 31.8% from his freshman season. Any team that drafts him will be reaping the rewards; let’s just hope the Charlotte Hornets think this as well.

Kemba Walker’s former backup, Shabazz Napier, is on Charlotte’s radar and for a good reason. He will provide play making off the bench for a Hornets team which went from averaging 7.7 APG in the 2012-13 season to 6.0 APG in the 2013-14 season. As a senior, Napier is an NBA-ready Point Guard, ready to lead the Hornets bench back to relevance. He won’t have a chance to become the starter, however, he will be able to play alongside his close friend Kemba. Of course, the two can only play together for limited stretches as their size will limit their defensive potential. Although they may only play for limited stretches, having two exciting Point Guards on the team will only attract more fans and bring more success.

The aforementioned four players have an almost equal opportunity of getting chosen with the 24th overall pick so it all depends on how the interviews go for the players. The Hornets would be lucky to get any one of them and vice versa. However, my personal favorite is Cleanthony Early. He reminds of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with his defense and motor, except Early is a much better offensive player. I mean, have you seen MKG’s shot form? It depresses me to even think about it.

As the 2014 NBA Draft approaches, Rich Cho has a crucial string of decisions to make in an attempt to bring a successful era of basketball back to Charlotte. There are numerous directions the team could decide to go; will they go with the consensus pick, the safe pick or will the Hornets shock us all? Who knows? #ChoKnows