So What Does This Mean for the Charlotte Hornets?
You’re on a Hornets site—I’ll bet you’re a Hornets fan. So let’s talk about the Hornets.
Charlotte currently holds the 3rd, 32nd, and 56th picks in the 2020 draft. Per Shams Charania of the Athletic:
The NBA is allowing teams to begin conducting in-person meetings (medical evaluation, workout) with 2020 Draft prospects from Oct. 16-Nov. 16, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Teams receiving up to two visits per player; no more than 10 total among prospects.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 12, 2020
This restriction makes for a more stringent pre-draft evaluation process that could reward prudent front offices–especially in the second round. It may favor the Hornets regime under GM Mitch Kupchak in some capacity, with recent second-round pick Devonte Graham developing into a second year Most Improved Player candidate, and 2019 acquisitions Cody Martin and Jalen McDaniels showing early promise before the league halted play in March. For a small-market team like Charlotte, the ability to find low-cost, useful players in the second round is critical.
Under normal circumstances, a front office has nearly three months to decide if it wants to sign one of its second-round picks. With the condensed timeline I’ve estimated, they would have only six weeks. Suffice to say, the organization’s skill in intuiting and prioritizing targets will be put to the test in the next four weeks.
While Kupchak has signaled that Charlotte won’t be a major contender in free agency this year, there are other roster considerations for the Hornets this offseason. Bismack Biyombo, Willy Hernangomez, and Dwayne Bacon, as well as Greensboro Swarm players Kobi Simmons, Robert Franks, and Ray Spalding all represent cap holds and decisions with varying degrees of difficulty that Charlotte must make for the 2020-21 campaign. Maximizing value should be the only priority if any are deemed worth bringing back.
As I already alluded to, a condensed preseason will also allow less time to evaluate players in practices and scrimmages. This means a smaller sample size of information and exposure useful in determining who stays and goes.
And the Hornets have many questions that will complicate those decisions: the team’s high draft pick and the minutes he commands; the viability of P.J. Washington as a part-time center; Miles Bridges’ development as a shooter, point of attack defender, and ball handler.
Malik Monk’s ability to perform consistently following a late-season hot streak that was cut short by suspension; determining whether Cody and Caleb Martin can be swingmen in a competitive NBA rotation; Terry Rozier’s place with the team following a career shooting season; etc. With several incoming draft selections (assuming the Hornets keep all of their picks), the option to cut G-League regulars with impending contracts might be appealing.