Heading into the 2017 NBA Draft with the No. 11 overall pick, it’s time to take a look back on the Charlotte Hornets’ NBA Draft history.
This season, the Charlotte Hornets hold the 11th and 31st selections in the 2017 NBA Draft. The Hornets have never held the 11th overall pick, but they have ample experience picking in that range and they have picked at No. 31 before (Jeffery Taylor in 2012).
Charlotte fans have watched as the team has failed to ever land a generational talent through the draft. They have had some really bad missteps (J.R. Reid anyone?), but mostly, the Hornets seem to fall in love with very specific prospects. They often proceed to draft their guy way too high rather than just trading down to make their selection.
The closest the Hornets have selected to the No. 11 spot was in 2009, when they selected Gerald Henderson out of Duke with the 12th pick in the draft. Henderson did not become an All-Star, but he became a steady scorer by his third season in the league. Most important was the fact that Henderson became an asset that Charlotte was eventually able to flip in their trade for Nicolas Batum.
Vlade DivacKobe BryantCharlotte has had consecutive picks inside the top 10 from 2011-15. Those prospects have ranged from good to great, but all of them have — so far — developed into solid players, and in Kemba Walker‘s case, an All-Star. Let’s take a look at those picks.
Top-10 bonanza (2011-15)
Kemba Walker was the first post-Gerald Henderson first-rounder, and the Hornets did a solid job with the pick. They missed out some players that developed into stars, but Walker has turned out to have a more impressive career than every other player in the top 10 besides Kyrie Irving.
He was an All-Star in 2017, and is one of the best scoring guards in the league. Since he serves as a fine foundation, general manager Rich Cho has been trying to pair him with players that would make the team well-rounded.
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Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was a solid selection at No. 2 in 2012. He has suffered injuries that haven’t allowed his offensive game to catch up with is already stellar defensive abilities. Last season he played 81 games, but he regressed on offense and attempted a career-low 2.4 free throws per game.
Cody Zeller (No. 4), Noah Vonleh (No. 9), and Frank Kaminsky (No. 9) reflect the stagnation of the franchise. Zeller and Kaminsky played well within head coach Steve Clifford’s system, but they did not excel at individual defense.
Cho bolstered the interior defense with his recent trade for Dwight Howard. And now Clifford and co. will be able to focus on finding an offense-first talent to fill out what is an extremely fundamentally sound team.
Because of the abundance of talent in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Hornets could land a potential All-Star at No. 11 in this year’s draft. It will all depend on if Charlotte is willing to take a chance on a high-ceiling prospect who fits the current roster.
Next: NBA Trade Grades - Hornets acquire Howard from Hawks
The Hornets finished 14th in offensive and defensive rating in 2017. They were an all-around middle-of-the-pack team team, and a ready-now prospect would bring them get one step closer to playoff contention.