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Grading the Charlotte Hornets’ Recent Draft Picks

By Adam Greer

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number nine overall pick to the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number nine overall pick to the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 29, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward center Bismack Biyombo (8) during Media Day at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 29, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward center Bismack Biyombo (8) during Media Day at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /

The Charlotte Hornets have a reputation for questionable draft picks over the past decade but they have faired pretty well as of late. How have their recent 1st rounders graded out?

Every fan of Charlotte basketball remembers the horror that was the 2010-2011 season. As if seven wins and 59 losses wasn’t enough, the name Charlotte Bobcats will forever be in the record books next to the worst winning percentage in NBA history. The plan to rebuild the team and organization from lottery to playoffs, Bobcats to Hornets, and laughing stock to contender started with the 2011 NBA draft.

Since then, the organization has had many highs and lows to get to where they find themselves this off-season, and in the NBA, teams rarely climb the ladder without making good use of their draft picks. Everyone knows what grades to give former 1st round picks Adam Morrison and Sean May, but what grades will the most recent 1st round selections receive?

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2011 Rd. 1 Pick 7 Bismack Biyombo

Yes, this is the same Bismack Biyombo that was last seen dominating the paint for the Toronto Raptors on ESPN against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Many casual fans will be surprised to see that Biyombo was drafted two spots ahead of Kemba Walker, and was obtained in a trade which saw the Bobcats ship out leading scorer Stephen Jackson in a three-way trade with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Sacramento Kings.

Also part of the trade was acquiring the aging and highly paid Corey Maggette, and trading the draft rights to Tobias Harris (who averaged nearly 15 points and 7 rebounds this past season). Before the draft, hardly anyone had heard of Biyombo, until his triple-double at the Nike Hoop Summit put his stock in the top 10 of the draft.

In his four seasons as a Bobcat/Hornet Biz only improved marginally on offense and as a basketball player in general. He was the only player in the NBA that could catch a rebound 2 feet above the rim but couldn’t catch a bounce pass that hit him in the hands.

Biz’s shotblocking and rebounding prowess never could flourish with the lack of shooting and spacing on the rest of the team, but would have been exactly what the Hornets needed this year when they ran into Hassan Whiteside and the Miami Heat.

The organization found a diamond in the rough, but didn’t have the patience to reap the rewards Biyombo could have brought the team.  While he may have improved tremendously during the past year in Toronto, I am grading the pick based on what he brought to the Charlotte Hornets which was not enough.

Pick Grade: C

Next: Kemba Walker

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