Amid the NBA playoffs the NBA Lottery draft for the non-playoff bound teams took place and with it the NBA draft order has now been determined. For the lottery teams this year's draft marks hope and optimism as he talent pool here is deemed to be considerably better than it has been in the past few years; mind you it seems like the draft pundits say this same thing every single season.
Nonetheless, the teams who are holding lottery bound picks must be looking at ways to complement their rosters, be it by using the upcoming selection or via a trade on draft day. Not every team with lottery selections are able to address their needs via the draft as there is only so much talent available at each position and since these rookie deals are guaranteed, the new incoming salary amounts must be accounted for within the team's salary cap.
As the NBA Draft approaches eDraft.com will look at each of the lottery teams and identify their needs heading into the draft as well as who might be available to fill hose teams needs. Our draft coverage won't stop there though as post-draft we will have analysis of the picks as well as report cards for each of the teams as to how they fared.
The ninth pick in the upcoming draft is currently being held by the Charlotte Hornets who are coming off a disappointing season. Optimism was high in Charlotte as the Hornets made the playoffs in the 2013-14 campaign but fell well short of that mark this season. The season definitely took a turn for the worse as Kemba Walker missed about 20 games while recovering from surgery and even with his return the Hornets just couldn't play consistently enough to close the distance.
The newly acquired Lance Stephenson was a total bust at $9 million as he was temperamental, moody and inconsistent all season long. Stephenson never did get it going and his game seemed to deteriorate as the season progressed. The Hornets are pretty much stuck with him to start the season at another $9 million hit; however, given that they hold a club option for the year after, there is a reasonable chance that he will get moved at the trade deadline.
Key Pieces to Build Around:
There is really only a single key piece to build around and that is of course Kemba Walker. Walker did see a dip in production last season as he recovered from knee surgery. His stats were well below expectations and he proved to everyone that he is a scoring guard, not a true potential not guard in terms of distribution. This season sees Walker's new contract kick in so expectations are even higher now as he is costing the club $12 million.
Al Jefferson has a player option for this season at $13.5 million which as of Sunday he has officially exercised. Conventional thinking led most to believe that Jefferson would opt in given that he was injured last season and posted lower than normal averages across the board. With Big Al in the fold, a healthy Kemba Walker and a rejuvenated Lance Stephenson, this Hornets club should content once again for the playoffs.
State of the Union - Charlotte Hornets
Steve Clifford is back for another year at the helm and this could very well be a short season for him if the Hornets don't play well to kick off the year. After making the playoffs in 2013-14 with 43 wins, last season saw a pretty significant drop off in terms of wins. With the ultimate competitor upstairs in Michael Jordan; I can't imagine Clifford being kept around long if the season doesn't start well.
Last year's draft saw the Hornets take Noah Vonleh with their ninth overall pick. Vonleh was injured and got a late start to the season and he never really recovered from missing that time early on. Vonleh was probably still the best pick for them at that spot unless you consider the two point guards in Elfrid Payton or Zach LaVine to be upgrades over Kemba Walker. The Hornets have the luxury of being patient with Vonleh as he continues to develop and learn as a player. Look for him to play some summer league ball in hopes of being more of a factor next season.
Draft Needs:
The Hornets are in need of a shooting guard. They have Lance Stephenson under contract for next season and one can bet on them either trading him or letting him go to free agency. They also have last year’s draftee in P.J. Hairston and Gerald Henderson under contract; however, neither is really a game changing type player. The Hornets will want to find a player to pair with Walker in the backcourt and that player needs to be dynamic enough to handle some ball handling duties.
A player who fits that bill really well is Mario Hezonja from Barcelona; however, he is likely going to be off the board by the ninth spot. If he isn’t, the Hornets would pounce on him here. Should Hezonja be picked already then the Hornets will likely look to Devin Booker from Kentucky who comes into the draft as the second-rated shooting guard in the draft. Booker is a pure shooter who has a fundamental stroke and near perfect release. Booker supplied solid offence off the bench for Kentucky and was the floor spacer that the team needed. Booker could do the same for the Hornets as they have a decent inside presence with Jefferson and an attacking point guard in Walker. Booker could be a really good fit for this team and he will benefit from having a season to mature under Stephenson and Henderson.