Charlotte Hornets: Redrafting the 2014 NBA Draft and Who the Team Missed

The Charlotte Hornets haven’t done a great job through the draft in recent years and the 2014 Draft was just another example of that.

We all know the Charlotte Hornets had many opportunities to get a steal in the 2014 edition of the NBA draft. Solid players were missed by the Rich Cho and the front office in this draft. We can all agree that this was a bad draft and that it surely needed to be redrafted.

Hornets 2014 Picks

Pick 9: Noah Vonleh

This was a solid pick for the Hornets considering Noah’s upside and the fact that they needed a big man. In Vonleh’s first season with the team, he only averaged three points per game. Charlotte got sick of his play and let him go after his rookie season as they traded him to get Nicolas Batum so maybe the pick wasn’t all that bad. Maybe Vonleh needed more development? He could still turn out to be a good NBA player one day, just not for the Hornets.

Pick 24: Shabazz Napier/Draft Picks (P.J Hairston)

Charlotte was surely thinking right with this pick. Maybe keeping Shabazz would’ve been good because he could’ve been a solid backup point guard. Instead, Napier was never seen in a Hornets uniform because he was traded to the Miami Heat on Draft Night. With this trade, the Hornets ended up receiving P.J Hairston from the Miami as well as second round picks. We all know how the Hairston era went. Long story short: not good.

Pick 45: Dwight Powell

After drafting Vonleh and Hariston, the Hornets decided to go big and address the power forward position. Powell never suited up in a Hornets uniform as well. Powell fit the scheme of the Hornets very poorly. If only they would’ve given him a chance because he’s found a home in Dallas and has proven to be a serviceable NBA backup with the Mavs. This wasn’t necessarily a bad pick but Charlotte shouldn’t have given up on Dwight so soon.

Redrafted Picks (Passed on players)

Pick 9: T.J Warren

The Hornets lacked depth at the small forward spot. Warren is a good all-around player. Charlotte passed on him with the number nine pick and T.J. ended up being selected 14th overall by the Phoenix Suns. Warren would have brought much competition to the Hornets team, as well as giving MKG a run for his money. Each year Warren has been improving on both sides of the ball, and we can only wonder the thought, “what if?”

Pick 24: Nikola Jokic (No Trade with MIA)

Jokic was not very well-known in this draft but he has established himself as a rising star in the NBA. The Hornets were looking to fill depth positions at center. Jokic, with the help of Coach Patrick Ewing, could have possibly developed into a dangerous weapon for Charlotte. As a player, he fit the Hornets scheme perfect and would have been a steal in this draft. “The Joker” was overlooked by every NBA team. The Denver Nuggets are now reaping the rewards of selecting him.

Pick 45: Jordan Clarkson

With this pick, the Hornets could have got a solid backup point guard. It’s shocking to see how low Jordan was taken and to see what he turned out to be. He was taken one pick after Charlotte selected with the 46th, eventually being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. While backing up D’Angelo Russell for the Lakers, Clarkson has shown that he could be a deadly sixth man coming off the bench. While the Hornets have had poor success finding a decent backup point guard, Clarkson would have been the answer for the future.

Here are some more players the Charlotte Hornets passed on in 2014:

Next: The Hornets Need to Draft Justin Jackson

Rich Cho must make the right calls this year as the team has a lottery pick in the upcoming draft. This class is loaded but if the Charlotte Hornets’ general manager can find a steal or two, it would be huge for the team. He can’t miss through the draft this summer because Cho is on the hot seat in a contract year.

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Redrafting the 2014 NBA Draft for the Charlotte Hornets

By Giovanni Spillman | May 7, 2017