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Charlotte Hornets: A look back at NBA Draft history before 2018

By Luke Askew

CHARLOTTE, NC - JUNE 23: Rich Cho, General Manager of the Charlotte Hornets, introduces Dwayne Bacon and Malik Monk to the media at a press conference in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 23, 2017 at the Spectrum Center. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - JUNE 23: Rich Cho, General Manager of the Charlotte Hornets, introduces Dwayne Bacon and Malik Monk to the media at a press conference in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 23, 2017 at the Spectrum Center. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The 2018 NBA Draft is soon approaching. With that being said, let’s take a look back at the Charlotte Hornets draft history.

The Charlotte Hornets haven’t exactly been the best franchise in the NBA when it comes to the draft. Actually, I won’t sugarcoat it, they’ve been pretty bad.

They’ve had a decent amount of top-five picks in their time as an NBA team, but some (not all) of those have been pretty disastrous. For example, a few of their top five picks include Cody Zeller (No. 4), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (No. 2), and Adam Morrison (No. 3).

Some of you might be thinking, “Well, come on now, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has been okay and Cody Zeller has been solid!”

While that’s true for the most part, “okay” and “solid” aren’t what you want from picks at No. 2 and No. 4. Just remember that they chose Kidd-Gilchrist, who has been a solid NBA defender but abysmal on the offensive end, over Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard, Harrison Barnes, and Andre Drummond. All would have been much better options.

As far as the Zeller pick goes, there wasn’t a lot available in the 2013 NBA Draft, so maybe they get a pass on that one. There were some standouts like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert if you look a little further down the draft, but nobody expected the rise of those players at that time.

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Now, let’s be fair. Not all of the Hornets picks have been bad. They drafted Kemba Walker at No. 9, Baron Davis at No. 3, Alonzo Mourning at No. 2 and Larry Johnson at No. 1. All of those players had/have had very successful (even if short-lived) careers with the Charlotte Hornets organization.

But of course, if we want to take another turn down the “draft mistakes”road, we can’t forget that they traded the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, Kobe Bryant. I don’t want to speak for everyone, but I’d say that most people agree that Bryant ended up having a decent career. Perhaps he’s someone the Hornets would’ve liked to have on their roster.

Now, let’s look at last year’s picks. The Hornets selected Malik Monk with the 11th overall pick and acquired the 40th overall pick, Dwayne Bacon, via trade.

At the time, Monk was considered to be a steal. Most thought he would be a top-eight draft pick but he then slid to No. 11 where the Hornets took him.

Both Monk and Bacon had rough rookie seasons. Some of this is chalked up to a lack of opportunity, as both players averaged less than 14 minutes per game. However, you could also say that the lack of opportunity was due to a lack of production in the minutes they were given.

Monk still has the potential to be a star, though. I mean, check out this play:

https://twitter.com/RealSportsTaIk/status/981355387638157313

This unreal burst of athleticism points to some potential growth as a player in the near future.

For the second consecutive year, the Hornets have the 11th overall draft pick and they also have the 55th overall pick. Monk was the only No. 11 selection in franchise history, while the Hornets have never selected at No. 55.

Maybe this year Charlotte will select someone who can step in and make an immediate impact. After all, the Hornets need some serious help — and soon, unless they want to blow it all up and start over.

History of the No. 11 and No. 55 pick

Over the course of NBA history, the No. 11 pick has yielded some decent results but is still fairly hit-or-miss. For example, notable NBA stars such as Reggie Miller (1987), J.J. Redick (2006), and Klay Thompson (2011) were all selected at pick No. 11. Other success stories include Domantas Sabonis (2016), Myles Turner (2015), Allan Houston (1993), Robert Horry (1992), Nick Anderson (1989), John Salley (1986), Kevin Willis (1984), Derek Harper (1983) and Kiki Vandeweghe (1980).

However, as every late lottery pick knows, there will be some that don’t exactly pan out. For example, Cole Aldrich, Michael Carter-Williams and Meyers Leonard are all examples of recent players drafted at No. 11 that haven’t turned into stars.

As previously mentioned, this hit-or-miss style of drafting is extremely common for the late lottery. What isn’t common is finding a quality player at the No. 55 pick.

Gonzaga standout Nigel Williams-Goss is the most recent No. 55 pick, but he hasn’t had any NBA success yet. Dating back to 2000, there have only been two players to really make a name for themselves after being drafted 55th: Patty Mills and E’Twaun Moore.

Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft - Doncic still No. 1 in post-lottery edition

While Mills and Moore have become quality role players in the league, they still aren’t stars. The point here is that the expectations for the No. 55 pick need to be held in check. Even though it’s possible to get a fine role player out of this pick, it’s highly unlikely.

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