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Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets’ draft plan, Little to work with this summer

By Jerry Stephens

Apr 11, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Treveon Graham (12) reaches for a ball in front of Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha (25) in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Hornets 103-76. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 11, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Treveon Graham (12) reaches for a ball in front of Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha (25) in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Hornets 103-76. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the latest and greatest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.

The Cleveland Cavaliers took a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals after handling the Boston Celtics in Game One. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the Charlotte Hornets‘ draft plan, the team has little to work with this summer and Treveon Graham grew during his first year in the Queen City.

Hornets’ Draft Plan (BleacherReport.com)

"If one team in the top 10 makes an out-of-the-box selection, the Hornets must be prepared to draft whichever player falls into their lap. Any of the aforementioned stars would offer value at No. 11 regardless of position."

Above is Plan A. Plan B is taking the best available players whether it be Zach Collins (B1) or Justin Jackson (B2). Charlotte sits just outside of the top-10 which means that they will probably miss out on the most highly rated prospects but if a team breaks form, the Hornets will be there to scoop up one of those projected top-10 players.

Still, drafting Collins or Jackson wouldn’t be horrible. Both could be quality additions to positions of need for the team. Zach would add rebounding, shooting touch for a big and potential while Justin would give them a two-way wing.

Charlotte Has Little to Work With This Summer (SI.com)

"Their die is already cast with the significant expenditures last summer and ill-fated decision to take on Plumlee’s exorbitant contract. Other than making sure they take the best player available with the 11th pick, the front office will have a narrow field and needs to make the most of it."

We already know about the Hornets’ limited cap space this offseason. After taking on Miles Plumlee‘s massive contract, they have little room to bring in new players. With that being said, there are still three important storylines addressed in the article: 11th overall pick, Ramon Sessions and the shooting guard logjam.

Charlotte needs to find a way to rebound next season and get back in the playoffs. Despite not having a lot of flexibility, that could end up working in their favor. They already have a pretty solid team full of veterans and young players who both know how to compete. If they can stay healthy and win a few more close games, this roster should be good enough to get into the postseason in the East.

Treveon Grew During His First Year in the Queen City (NBA.com)

"All the defensive schemes we go through, I try and make sure I’m on top of it, so when I go out there I’m on top of things. Offensively, if I have an open shot I shoot it. I try and be as consistent as possible. I think the consistency I bring to the tape is something [Hornets Head Coach Steve Clifford] might like.”"

Next: Hornets Unlikely to Trade 11th Overall Pick

Graham didn’t get a lot of chances this past season but when he did, the forward made the most of them. When he first arrived, Treveon wasn’t a great shooter but he worked hard to develop that part of his game and by the end of the year, he was knocking down outside shots with consistency. His defense originally earned him a spot on the roster but adding an offensive game should keep him around for next season.

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