The NBA Draft is coming up, which means The Game Haus will be doing draft profiles for each NBA team. Each day, a new team will be analyzed for their past season, their team needs and targets. Today, the Charlotte Hornets will be evaluated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKYb71Qkx7g
Summary
This past season the Hornets hovered at or below .500 for a majority of the season. Led by their All-Star Kemba Walker the Hornets ended the season just missing the playoffs with a record of 39-43 and finished second in the Southeast Division.
The Hornets ranked in the upper half of the league in offense coming in at 12th. But the team struggled more on defense coming in at 22nd in defensive rating. On offense Walker, who is heading into the peak of his prime, led the team with 25.6 points and 5.9 assists per game.
The bright side for the Hornets is that they have a team of experienced players, such as Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb. As well as some potential great, young, players in Miles Bridges and Malik Monk.
Picks
The Hornets have three picks in the 2019 NBA Draft.
First Round:Â Pick No. 12
Second Round:Â Pick No. 36, 52
Team Needs
Wings- The Hornets are in desperate need of a shoot-first wing. Walker can only do so much for the team offensively, and the rest of the squad is really lacking in having a scorer to help Walker out. If Jeremy Lamb were to leave this would be the Hornets number one priority for the draft.
Center- The Hornets are in need of a true big man. Someone who can help out on the defensive side, but also be used for a couple of points here and there. Cody Zeller is missing games. Willy Hernanagomez is playing in some limited minutes. Bismack Biyombo is not great offensively, and Frank Kaminsky is more of a stretch-4 then a 5.
Potential Targets
First Round: Pick No. 12: Romeo Langford, SG, Indiana University
Coming in at 6-foot-6 Langford has good size for a shooting guard. Pairing his size with his athleticism Langford could be a huge impact on the court right away for the Hornets. Langford is also versatile. He is a good rebounder, passes well out of the lane and has natural scoring ability. Langford will fit well with the Hornets because he won’t be forced to be their primary guy. In addition, this will help him work on his three-point shot, free throws and other aspects of his game that the NBA coaches can help with.
Second Round: Pick No. 36: Daniel Gafford, C, University of Arkansas
Daniel Gafford is a true center. He has length and is mobile for his size. Gafford has a good touch and will help in spacing the floor. A lot of his weaker attributes are things that can be coached as well. He can learn to be more physical, he can learn to box out better and he can learn to polish his defensive fundamentals. Above all, he would be a good fit with the Hornets because he would be learning from some established big men. He could make an immediate impact and is the type of rim protector and scorer the Hornets could utilize.
Pick No. 52: Quinndary Weatherspoon, SG, Mississippi State University
Quinndary Weatherspoon is an experienced player. Now at 22 years old Weatherspoon can make a solid transition to the NBA. Most importantly Charlotte is in need of some scoring and Weatherspoon is another asset that can provide some points. Similarly to Romeo Langford, Weatherspoon has a high motor and was a key part of MSU’s offense. In addition to that, he also shot a career 37 percent from the three-point line. In other words, Weatherspoon is the under-the-radar piece that the Hornets can utilize to win the 50-50 games.
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3 Comments
Tako Falls
Another Langford to the Hornets choice. According to other articles he can’t shoot, doesn’t play defense, and is not a good passer. But then again with those skills he would fit right in with this team.