Charlotte Hornets: Potential second round sleepers

The Charlotte Hornets could be in prime position to snag a good player in the second round this year as there will surely be a few sleepers.

There is always a player or two who slips through the cracks each year and ends up being a role player, an all-star or in Isaiah Thomas‘ case an MVP candidate after being overlooked and falling to a lucky team in the second round of the NBA Draft. This year will probably be no different. With how deep this draft is, the Charlotte Hornets could have a good opportunity to grab a talented player with the 41st overall pick.

There are a number of second round picks have become great NBA players including Paul Millsap, Marc Gasol, Khris Middleton, Jordan Clarkson, Lou Williams, Hassan Whiteside, DeAndre Jordan and Draymond Green to name a few. There’s also some recent history with the 41st pick as Nikola Jokic was taken there in 2014. Maybe Rich Cho will be able to find a steal late in the draft this year.

Even though the Hornets have only kept one of their second round picks on their roster since 2010, Rich Cho indicated that they are looking to keep their second rounder this year. (Twitter/ @LockedOnHornets)

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Although, just like every other pick in the draft, it is hit or miss. The farther into the draft, the less likely a selection is to be a hit. With that said, here are a few potential sleeper players the Charlotte Hornets should consider with the No. 41 pick:

Johnathan Motley

The 22-year old out of Baylor would probably be a fringe first round player any other year but he should drop a bit in this draft because of the many other big man prospects. DraftExpress has Johnathan ranked as the 39th overall prospect and project him to go 38th overall to the Chicago Bulls. If he were to drop a couple more spots, the Hornets would be in position to take him.

His numbers alone jump out as Motley averaged 17.2 points per game, 9.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 blocks this past season. The 6’8″ power forward/center also has incredible length with a 7’4″ wingspan. NBADraft.net compares him to Darrell Arthur. To me, he has an NBA body and he could be a high energy guy off of the bench for just about any NBA team.

While he doesn’t have a great all-around offensive game and his upside is a bit limited, he could easily step in from day one and be an impact role player. He is more of a power forward but in small ball lineups, Motley could play at the five spot. He would give Charlotte a bit of a logjam at the four but it wouldn’t be too difficult to make room for Johnathan.

Caleb Swanigan

Swanigan was one of the best big men in college last season as he put up 18.5 points per game, 12.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists for Purdue. Despite being ranked as DraftExpress’ 27th overall prospect, they have him falling to the Philadephia 76ers at No. 39.

The only reason he is projected to fall so low is that he is only 6’9″ which is a bit undersized for NBA centers. At 247 pounds, it is unlikely that he will be able to transition to the four. His impressive 7’3″ wingspan offsets his size just a bit but there is still concerns about his offensive polish and defensive upside. (DraftExpress.com)

NBADraft.net lists his NBA comparison as Ike Diogu. While it is unlikely that his collegiate success will transfer seamlessly to the NBA, the 20-year old is worth taking a chance on in the second round. At the very least, I think he could be a solid backup center in the league for many years to come. Who knows, maybe his game will be able to translate to the pros.

Melo Trimble

The point guard out of Maryland is the only prospect on this list who is projected to go undrafted. He is only ranked 84th on DE’s top-100. He was expected to be a late first round/ early second round pick last year but he decided to return to college. His 17.2 points per game and 3.8 assists weren’t enough to help his draft stock as he has now fallen out of the latest mock completely.

Considering how high teams were on him just a year ago, it would make sense for someone to take a chance on him late in the second round this year. Trimble worked out for the Hornets prior to the NBA Draft. They are in need of a backup point guard so giving Melo a shot at making the roster isn’t that bad of an idea.

NBADraft.net compares him to Jarrett Jack. While he does tend to commit too many turnovers, that could be fixed under Steve Clifford. He has decent size at 6’3 but his length and athleticism leave a lot to be desired. Still, considering his production, I could see him making a roster and possibly becoming a role player on an NBA team. While I have a few point guards rated higher than Trimble in terms of second round prospects, I think Melo is the most intriguing.

P.J. Dozier

According to DraftExpress.com, Dozier is the 52nd overall prospect on their top-100 board but they project him to go 50th overall to the Philadelphia 76ers. In all likelihood, he should be available when the Hornets pick at No. 41. Charlotte even brought in the South Carolina native for a pre-draft workout.

During his sophomore year at South Carolina, the shooting guard prospect averaged 13.9 points per game, 4.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 45.2% from two and 28.5% from three. He will need to really work to develop his perimeter shot but once he does, he could become a valuable role player. His struggle with the deep ball is his one glaring weakness. Aside from that, his 6’6″ frame, 6’11” wingspan and his athleticism immediately demand attention.

NBADraft.net compares his game to that of Shaun Livingston. Adi Joseph of ForTheWin recently praised P.J. by saying that “Dozier sneaks up on you when you watch closely. Probably a better prospect than Thornwell. If he learns to shoot, he could be a starter.” The Hornets could use a scoring wing/shooting guard so the 20-year old would make sense for them at No. 41.

Next: 5 players Charlotte should avoid in the 2017 NBA Draft

While all of these prospects are projected second round picks, they are listed as sleepers because I think they could be much better than their original projections. They all have enough upside to potentially become NBA starters or valuable role players in a couple of years. Any of them would be a quality pickup for the Charlotte Hornets in the second round.