Swarm and Sting
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Five players the Charlotte Hornets should avoid in the 2017 NBA Draft

By Jerry Stephens

Apr 3, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Justin Jackson (44) works around Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Silas Melson (0) during the second half in the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 3, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Justin Jackson (44) works around Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Silas Melson (0) during the second half in the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 10, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Lauri Markkanen (10) looks to pass during a Pac-12 Conference Tournament game against the UCLA Bruins at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Lauri Markkanen (10) looks to pass during a Pac-12 Conference Tournament game against the UCLA Bruins at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /

Even with this loaded draft class, there are still a few players the Charlotte Hornets should not pick with their first round selection.

June 22nd will be an important night for a number of teams around the league as the 2017 NBA Draft will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Looking ahead to draft night, the Charlotte Hornets hold the 11th overall pick in the first round and the 41st selection in the second round. Their lottery pick is a big talking point as the team will be hoping to land a player that will help get them back into the playoffs next season.

Over the past few years, the Hornets have missed with a lot of their first round picks. Rich Cho, Michael Jordan and the front office can’t afford to make another mistake this time around. Here are five players they should avoid this year:

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1. Lauri Markkanen

According to DraftExpress.com, Markkanen is projected to go seventh overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves and even if he falls a bit, he is expected to still go in the top-10. On the off chance that he falls to Charlotte at No. 11, the Hornets should pass on the 7-footer out of Arizona. While he is the highest rated player on the list, there are a couple of reasons why the Queen City isn’t an ideal location for him.

First off, the team already have more than enough big men with Marvin Williams, Frank Kaminsky, Cody Zeller and Miles Plumlee. Even though I’m not against replacing one of those players with a more talented prospect, the Hornets have other needs to address. Lauri may be better than Kaminsky but an argument could be made that their styles are far too similar.

Aside from the fan base not being able to handle “another seven foot white guy,” Charlotte simply doesn’t need what the power forward brings to the table. Looking at his stats, Markkanen put up some impressive numbers with 15.6 points per game and 7.2 rebounds during his freshman year.

One of Lauri’s weaknesses DraftExpress’ experts pinpoint is his rebounding ability. The Hornets were 16th in the league with only 43.6 rebounds per game last season. The last thing they need is a big man who can’t rebound consistently. Their leading rebounder last year was Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. If they are going to select a 7-footer, it better be someone who can rebound and score inside.

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