It’s never too early to start looking towards the future. That’s why we take a look at three potential draft picks for the Charlotte Hornets in the 2018 NBA Draft.
This past week the Charlotte Hornets drafted Malik Monk and Dwayne Bacon at picks 11 and 40 respectively. The two will contribute to the Hornets 2017-2018 season and hopefully push the team to a playoff berth. Let’s take an early look at some players the Hornets could potentially target in the next NBA Draft.
Isaac Bonga, SF/PG, Germany
CBS Sports mocks Bonga to the Hornets in their way-too-early 2018 mock draft. The 6’10” point forward plays in the German Third Division. Bonga excels at driving and passing out, and possesses an almost unnatural vision of the court. However, he is far from a perfect prospect. Bonga has had weak showings against stronger competition and struggles mightily shooting the ball.
Player Comparison: Rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo
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Fit: If Malik Monk plays a true SG role this season, sliding Bonga in as a playmaking PG may be effective. If Monk plays more backup point guard, Bonga would likely play a bench SF role and would struggle mightily as a non-shooter.
Grade: C+. Drafting Bonga could go very wrong on a team that already struggles to be consistent from deep. However, Bonga could also be a very smart passer in Steve Clifford’s system and an effective point guard if surrounded with shooters.
Bruce Brown, SG, Miami (FL)
Draft Express mocks Brown at the 17 spot, which is around the range that the Hornets could pick next year. The 6’3″ 200 lb. two-guard out of Miami is an explosive stat-sheet stuffer. Brown averaged 11.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.2 APG, and 1.5 SPG. While Brown has the potential to contribute in all aspects of the game, he struggles with his consistency and finishing ability off the bounce.
Player Comparison: Avery Bradley
Fit: Brown and Monk have overlapping skillsets, and wouldn’t be a great fit. At 6’3″ he lacks the size to guard SGs, and Brown hasn’t shown the ball handling skills needed to slide over to point guard.
Grade: D. I think drafting Brown is pretty out of the question for a team that just invested in an undersized SG this past draft, and there almost certainly would be better players available.
Rodions Kurucs, SF, Latvia
Slotted at 20 in Draft Express’s 2018 mock draft, Kurucs is a high potential player that could worth the Hornets taking a risk on. Very little is known about Kurucs, as his player profile page on Draft Express is almost empty. The 6’8 190 lb. SF plays for Barcelona’s second team but hopes to play for the first team this upcoming summer. Those are lofty goals for an 18-year-old, but certainly achievable.
While Kurucs mostly remains an international man of mystery, his offensive abilities should be praised. Able to play both forward positions, Kurucs can step outside and shoot or slash to the rim and finish with force. Kurucs also possesses a strong floater and a decent back to the basket game.
However, he needs to bulk up to be able to play prolonged minutes at the NBA level and is not great defensively, despite his solid size. Kurucs should focus on developing those skills to become an even better prospect than he already is.
Player Comparison: Otto Porter Jr.
Fit: Kurucs would play mainly SG/SF until he is able to bulk up and play full games at the 3. Alongside Nic Batum and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kurucs would fit nicely as an instant offense type player.
Grade: A-. Kurucs is a raw player, and a lot of his development would hinge on the coaching staff in Charlotte, but he has high potential. If Kurucs continues to mature, look for Charlotte to target him in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Next: Backup PG targets for the Hornets
The 2018 NBA Draft is a long way away, and a lot can change between now and then, but these three players are currently mocked in the middle of the first round. The Hornets would be wise to scout them to see if they can be contributors to future seasons in Buzz City.