Every year, the NBA’s draft lottery is a highly anticipated event. It’s an occasion when the worst teams from the regular season are given a glimmer of hope in the form of a chance to select a highly touted amateur player. However, this year’s lottery was given a special level of attention due to the looming presence of a generational talent, Victor Wembanyama.
Although the San Antonio Spurs won the highly coveted pick and have not been shy about acknowledging the fact that they will select Wembanyama first overall, there remains a plethora of gifted basketball players for the rest of the lottery teams to choose from. The Charlotte Hornets are the team that will select directly after San Antonio. The team has been dismal in recent years, having missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons. However, with a few key moves they could contend for a spot in the play-in tournament sooner rather than later.
The Charlotte Hornets are a franchise in need of a turnaround. Pairing Scoot Henderson with LaMelo Ball is the right move for the team’s future.
When a player is selected with the second overall pick, organizations are usually hopeful that he will turn into a franchise player. He is expected to become a building block of the future and almost singlehandedly be capable of turning the fortunes of the team around. The Hornets are in a unique position; unlike most lottery teams they already have the face of the franchise in place, LaMelo Ball. However, one exceptional talent is not enough to win in the NBA. If Charlotte is to become a winning team they must find Ball a co-star.
Hailing from the G-League ignite is a 6’3″ guard who has shown flashes of brilliance over the last two seasons along with the maturity of a much older player. His name is Scoot Henderson, and if it weren’t for the phenom from France, he may have very well been the first pick in this year’s draft. Nevertheless, he is an exceptional talent with a bright NBA future. If Charlotte wants to put together a winning formula, pairing Henderson with Ball is the right way to go. Let’s take a closer look at the reasons why The Charlotte Hornets should select Scoot Henderson with the second pick in this year’s NBA draft.