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Charlotte Hornets Unable To Beat Lottery Odds

By Jon Shames

Apr 12, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15), center Bismack Biyombo (8), and forward Noah Vonleh (11) walk toward the bench during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 12, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15), center Bismack Biyombo (8), and forward Noah Vonleh (11) walk toward the bench during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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A little bit of luck would’ve been huge for this stumbling Charlotte Hornets team.

After an underwhelming year that saw the Hornets finish with only 33 wins, fans were praying for some stroke of fortune. The NBA lottery seemed like the perfect medium for a little bit of luck.

But sadly, fate wasn’t on Charlotte’s side, and the team, once again, was awarded the ninth pick in the upcoming draft. The Hornets ended the season with the ninth-worst record in the league, but the beauty of the lottery is the potential to move up a couple of spots.

Sadly, such is not the case this year for Charlotte.

Then again, the odds weren’t really in their favor; the chances that Charlotte received the ninth pick were an overwhelming 81.3 percent, compared to just a cumulative 6.1 percent chance that they would’ve moved up, into the top-three.

It is a bit unfortunate, as the Hornets’ lottery history is somewhat of a touchy subject. Charlotte getting the second overall pick in 2012 after a seven-win season, and subsequently missing out on Anthony Davis, still stings to this day. Sure, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist made some progress this past season, but he wasn’t an MVP candidate. Davis, MKG’s former University of Kentucky teammate, carried his team to the playoffs out West and had a legit shot to win the league’s most prestigious honor.

There isn’t going to be an Anthony Davis at number-nine this year, unfortunately. Still, Charlotte’s last two picks at the ninth spot, Kemba Walker and Noah Vonleh, have — at the very least — shown a good deal of promise. It’s important to note, however, that Walker took a few years to develop into the point guard he is today (an he’s still not great) and Vonleh is going to be a project as well.

We’re a long way from the draft, and Charlotte could very well end up with a steal; remember, Vonleh was considered a top-three pick by most scouts until a few hours before the draft. This year, though, the Hornets will likely be in pursuit of a wing, so expect guys like Stanley Johnson and Devin Booker to be on the team’s radar.

Perhaps it wasn’t exactly what the Charlotte Hornets would’ve hoped for, but hey, at least they’re not the Knicks.

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