Michael Porter Jr. could fall to the Charlotte Hornets
What if Michael Porter Jr. falls outside of the top-10? Would the Charlotte Hornets draft him at No. 11?
The Charlotte Hornets may have the chance to select Michael Porter Jr. with the No. 11 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Many originally expected Porter to be a top pick but after missing almost the entire year with a back injury, teams may pass on the prospect. If that happens, the Queen City team could be in prime position to grab him.
It was originally stated by Jonathan Givony of ESPN that Michael could be a late lottery pick. The draft expert said that “He actually has the biggest range of any prospect in this draft to me” and that “there are a lot of question marks” Woj went as far to say that “there isn’t a player in this draft with more questions around him.”
Now, Adrian Wojnarowski and Mike Schmitz have MPJ falling all the way to the Washington Wizards at 15th in their latest mock draft. They also think Charlotte should take Miles Bridges over Porter because they “need to go safe.”
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While Bridges may be the “safer” pick, it would be a tough decision for the Hornets to make with Michael still on the board. Much like last year when Malik Monk fell to them, Charlotte could be in a similar position once again this time around.
They didn’t expect for a top prospect like Monk to be available at No. 11. If Porter is there at No. 11 this year, Michael Jordan and Mitch Kupchak will have quite the decision to make.
If the former five-star recruit falls in the draft, there has to be a reason. Maybe his private workouts and tests from teams aren’t coming back all that well. He missed all but three games during his Freshman year at Missouri with a back injury that required surgery. Although, Porter is now saying that he is fully healed and that he’s the best player in this draft.
In 2017, Michael was the #1 recruit coming out of high school and was named Mr. Basketball USA, the USA Today Player of the Year, the Gatorade Player of the Year, the Naismith Prep Player of the Year and won the MVP at the McDonalds All-American Game.
The upside and intrigue are clear with Porter. He has star-level potential. There are just so many questions surrounding him and his health.
It’s worth noting that the Hornets interviewed the 6’10 forward at the NBA Draft Combine. (ESPN.com) Michael also has meetings with New York, Dallas, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Cleveland, Atlanta, Memphis, Houston, Los Angeles (Clippers), Sacramento, Oklahoma City and Boston.
If you looked at mock drafts just a few months ago, there was no way that anyone would’ve thought that Porter would fall out of the top-5 let alone the top-10. As the draft draws near, that is looking more and more like a real possibility.
Porter averaged 10.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 1.0 SPG in his three college appearances. NBADraft.net compares him to Kevin Durant and Joe Johnson.
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It would most likely be a dream scenario if Michael Porter Jr. fell outside of the top-10 but anything can happen on draft night, especially the unexpected. On one hand, MPJ could be the superstar player that the Charlotte Hornets have been hoping for. On the other, he could be yet another disappointing draft pick with injury issues.