Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets land the 11th pick, Post-lottery mock draft
Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the best articles from around the internet surrounding the Charlotte Hornets.
ESPN and Netflix and partnering for a 10-hour documentary about Michael Jordan that will come out in 2019. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at what pick the Charlotte Hornets received in the lottery this year, who they picked in the latest mock draft and if the team can recreate the San Antonio Spurs‘ success with James Borrego.
Charlotte lands the 11th overall pick (wistv.com)
"As always no magic or lightning for the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA Draft Lottery. They got exactly what was predicted for them through the odds in the annual event. They will select 11th in the upcoming draft barring any trades."
Much like past years, the Hornets didn’t have any luck in the 2018 draft lottery. Although they didn’t move up into the top-3, they also didn’t move down any spots so I guess that’s one positive takeaway. Charlotte will pick at No. 11 for the second consecutive year. Chris McClain pointed out that they’ve picked between 8-12 for the eighth time in the last 11 drafts.
The Phoenix Suns landed the No.1 overall pick while the Sacramento Kings and the Atlanta Hawks rounded out the top-3. The Memphis Grizzlies were the most unlucky team this year as they had the second-worst record in the NBA this past season but fell out of the top-3 in the lottery.
Hornets take Wendell Carter Jr. in post-lottery mock (BleacherReport.com)
"Carter could go as high as No. 6, but if the Bulls and Kings opt for wing or forward scorers, he could slip to the Hornets. He should be interchangeable between the 4 and 5, particularly if his jumper starts working early. Ideally, he would eventually replace Dwight Howard and give the Hornets another post option, rebounder and rim protector, but he could also step outside and stretch the floor."
I highly doubt that Carter will fall all the way to No. 11 but I thought the same thing about Malik Monk last year so who knows what could happen this time around. If the Duke freshman does fall to Charlotte, they would be lucky to grab such a promising and talented prospect outside of the top-10. Wendell is one of the top big men in the 2018 draft class alongside Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Mo Bamba.
At 6’10, he is versatile and can play both the power forward and center position. Carter averaged 13.5 points per game, 9.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.1 blocks during his lone season under Mike Krzyzewski. While Wendell could eventually replace Dwight Howard as the Hornets’ starting center, they may be able to play alongside each other in the starting lineup until D12 leaves the team.
Hornets aim to recreate Spurs’ success with Borrego (NSJonline.com)
"There is no more respected organization in the NBA, both for its stability and on-the-court success, than the San Antonio Spurs. So it only makes sense that the Charlotte Hornets, a franchise that has yet to win its first playoff series, would turn to the Spurs in hopes of recreating their successful formula."
It won’t be easy to recreate San Antonio’s success but if Charlotte can manage to accomplish even half of what the Spurs have over the past two decades under Gregg Popovich, then the Borrego era will be viewed as a success. The Hornets have been irrelevant and stuck in mediocrity for far too long so it’s easy to see why they went after a coach from a winning pipeline.
Next: Why Charlotte could land Kawhi
The best thing that Charlotte can take from San Antonio’s recent success is their drafting ability and player development. Those are two areas in which the Hornets have struggled. Success won’t come easy but the Queen City team has a HC with the right experience to get the job done.