Looking back at the 2017 NBA Draft, one specific player had aspirations for playing for the Charlotte Hornets.
The Charlotte Hornets have made many tough decisions in the NBA Draft, but have they done as of late. In the last three drafts, the Hornets have selected Malik Monk, Miles Bridges, and PJ Washington in the lottery.
With those selections, a new report questions if the Hornets made the right choice in the 2017 draft. On Thursday, ESPN writer Zach Lowe wrote an article regarding the 2017 draft.
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According to Lowe, Bam Adebayo stated that he “wanted Charlotte.” The idea of playing for Charlotte was perfect for him because he loved the idea of playing close to home and his mother.
In the 2017 draft, the Hornets selected Malik Monk with the 11th pick, while Adebayo was taken 14th overall by the Miami Heat. The Utah Jazz star, Donovan Mitchell, was also taken one pick behind Monk in that draft.
A huge reason why the Hornets did not select Adebayo, was because the team was stacked at the center position with the recent addition of Dwight Howard. At that time, selecting a center would not have made a lot of sense.
Nobody predicted that Adebayo would come out and become an All-Star, but it has to make fans wonder what would happen if the Hornets had picked him. So far this season, Adebayo is averaging career numbers of 15.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.
These numbers and his team’s current record is why Adebayo became an All-Star this season. As a division rival, Adebayo regularly gets the chance to go against the team that passed on him in the draft.
Adebayo is a dominant center, and he will only continue to improve. Moving forward, the Hornets are set to play the Heat three more times before the season ends. These are three more revenge games that Adebayo will be playing in.