Who Will the Hornets Draft on Wednesday Night?

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Five months later than normal, the NBA draft is scheduled for this coming Wednesday night.  And as many fans of the Charlotte Hornets know, this is the most exciting time of year to be a Hornets fan.  Playoffs aren’t something us fans look forward to because we often don’t get there and if we do, then it’s an early exit.  But we always have the draft to look forward to because it gives us something that we don’t normally get the rest of the year…hope.  And with the highest pick since the team selected Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at #2 overall in 2012, the Charlotte Hornets will look to make the most of their 3rd overall pick this year.

Now this is something that the team has also historically done bad.  The roster could look a lot different, and a lot better, had the team made some better selections going all the way back to when Charlotte began repping blue and orange.  But it is what it is, and the team has another chance to redeem themselves, this time with a very high quality pick.  Picking after the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors, there is a general consensus the Hornets will get one of three players…James Wiseman, Anthony Edwards, or LaMelo Ball.  There is no clear-cut number one in this draft, so any one of those three could go first overall and no one would be surprised.

Recently it has become known that the Hornets badly want James Wiseman, the 7-1 center out of the University of Memphis who probably has the highest ceiling out of anyone in the draft.  This is a position of desperate need for Charlotte and if Wiseman turns out as many expect, he would be a game-changer in the Queen City for a long time.  This is who most fans want wearing the teal and purple and we know the fans rarely get what they want on draft night.  With the young, talented guards the Hornets already have, Wiseman would be an excellent piece to add to the puzzle.  This is who I would like to see the Hornets end up with.

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If James Wiseman is still there at #3, there is no doubt that’s who the Hornets take.  But if he isn’t, and there’s a good chance he won’t be, then one of the other two guys will have to suffice.  In this case I would prefer to see Anthony Edwards in Charlotte, and wouldn’t be upset at all about it.  Edwards is a 6-5 shooting guard out of the University of Georgia who Jay Bilas calls “the most talented player in the draft.”  Many compare his game to Dwayne Wade’s and even Wade himself called Edwards a potentially better version of himself.  Now we know that Edwards has a long way to go if that were to ever happen, but just the sound of it is nice to hear if the Hornets do in fact end up with him.  His one major knock, however, is that he sometimes lacked effort on the defensive end of the floor last year in college.  But hey, he’s going to the NBA so who really cares about that, right?  Charlotte needs scorers.

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And the third option, and my least desirable one, is the Hornets ending up with the third Ball brother, LaMelo.  Don’t get me wrong, I know he’s talented.  He can make plays with his highly-rated passing skills and is also 6’8’’, a very nice size for a point guard.  But he’s a Ball and with that comes instant drama from his infamous loud-mouthed father.  When you’re trying to build a roster around talented youth, the last thing you need are any distractions.  And who knows, maybe there wouldn’t be any in Charlotte, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.  As soon as things get rough, and they will because it’s Charlotte basketball, LaVar will be throwing anyone and everyone except his son under the bus.  Plus the Hornets already have two guards in Rozier and Graham, so it would just crowd the backcourt.

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There have been some whispers as well around a potential trade involving the Hornets’ pick and Russell Westbrook.  I have always loved Westbrook’s game and mentality as an athlete, but this would not be the answer the organization is looking for.  While it would bring a huge name to Charlotte (which is very tough to do), Westbrook is 32 years old and past his peak.  He’s still very, very good, but it would not be smart to sacrifice young talent to bring him in when the team is not even close to being in win-now mode.  You have to stay with the system and hope some of these young guys keep getting better and better, and in a year or two go after a big name to help the team when they are ready to win.

Like I said, it’s always very interesting and exciting when draft time rolls around in Charlotte, especially this year with the third overall pick.  Whoever it is that will be wearing the beloved Hornets uniforms this season, I hope that they will bring much needed talent and energy to the team.  I think I speak for all Hornets fans when I say I’m tired of mediocrity and am ready to see the team compete and actually be a threat.  I know we have a ways to go, but Wednesday night could be a big step in the right direction.  Comment below who you want to see the Hornets end up with, or think they will select.  Let’s go Hornets!

Garett