Georgia big Nicolas Claxton has a ton of potential, and that could interest teams, such as the Charlotte Hornets, during the 2019 NBA Draft.
June 20th is marked on the calendar for all teams around the league, as that is when the 2019 NBA Draft will take place. The Charlotte Hornets are getting into gear and beginning pre-draft workouts with Nicolas Claxton and others today.
Claxton, a sophomore from Georgia, declared for the draft last month, but can still return to school thanks to the new NBA Draft rules. The pre-draft process will likely be a huge influence on his decision to stay in school or go pro.
About Nicolas Claxton
Height: 6’11”
Weight: 220 pounds
2018-19 stats: 13.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 46% FG, 31.6 minutes
Strengths:
- Defensive potential
- Good shot blocker
- Moves well for his size, runs the floor
- Has some perimeter skills, decent ball handling
- Good athlete
Weaknesses:
- Not a great shooter, but has shooting upside
- Needs to work on his body, get stronger
- Still pretty raw, definitely a project
In my opinion, Claxton is a first round pick. However, the Hornets will likely be picking in the late lottery area, which may be too high for Claxton. Due to his potential and length, I expect him to garner quite a lot of interest over the next month.
Charlotte could look at him with their lottery pick, which would be bold, or they could also target him in the second round or via trade.
The Hornets really struggled defensively at times last season, so adding a guy like Claxton could be apart of the solution. He possesses great tools on that end of the court and he has a chance to be a very good defensive player at the next level.
Adding a young frontcourt player would be ideal, but in my opinion, the Hornets must go with the best player available. Claxton has monsterous upside, but it’s going to take him a few years to really develop.
I would say the only young player with pretty good potential in Charlotte’s front line is Willy Hernangomez. Getting another young, athletic big to go with him would be ideal for the Hornets moving forward.
Claxton didn’t play a whole lot as a freshman at Georgia, but really broke out as a sophomore and made a name for himself. Players like him, who have an extreme amount of potential, make for some of the most intriguing picks during the draft.
His draft range is pretty spotty at the moment, but I believe that he will have a strong showing at the NBA Draft Combine, and I also believe he will catch the attention of folk around the league during his pre-draft workouts.
If he is expected to be picked in the first round, I would expect Claxton to keep his name in the draft. If he’s not a guaranteed first rounder and there’s a chance he slips into the second round, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him return to college.
If the Charlotte Hornets are looking for a mix of defense and potential in this years draft, Claxton would absolutely be worth a look. Hopefully he impresses the team during his workout today.