Charlotte Hornets NBA Draft: Is LaMelo Ball the future star the team needs?

Heading into the draft, will the Charlotte Hornets consider drafting LaMelo Ball with the #3 pick?

Unlike years past, the Charlotte Hornets will head into the draft with a top-3 pick. While this is irregular for many, fans continue to hope that the Hornets pick up the player that will help their roster the most.

The Hornets’ young roster will have quite a few needs heading into the offseason. Since the Minnesota Timberwolves are likely zeroing in on Anthony Edwards, and the Golden State Warriors are interested in James Wiseman, one of the top prospects available will be LaMelo Ball.

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When looking at who the Hornets have scouted, we can look at what Hornets’ General Manager Mitch Kupchak said after the Draft Lottery. After the Hornets received the third pick in the draft, Kupchak told Rick Bonell of the Charlotte Observer that the team scouted in Australia and Europe prior to the pandemic and travel restrictions.

As many were aware, one of the players that played in those areas was LaMelo Ball. On October 29th, ESPN reported that the Hornets would be having an interview with Ball prior to the NBA Draft on November 18th.

The Center position seems like the biggest need for the Hornets at the moment, but one can’t help to wonder if the Hornets would actually pass on Ball. Many expect Ball to be drafted within the top-5 in the lottery.

During his 2019-20 season with Australia’s Illawarra team, Ball managed to average 17.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 7.6 rebounds per game. With his play, Ball established himself as a do-it-all kind of guard.

Many believe that Ball has the qualities to be a future star in the league with his play. However, the Hornets currently have two quality starting guards on their roster. If the Hornets were to pick him up at #3, the team would need to do a lot of rearranging with their rotations.

With Ball’s abilities, he could play at either guard spot and even see some minutes at the small forward position. Head Coach James Borrego utilized his versatile players last season, and I could definitely see him playing Ball at multiple positions.

Fans can expect LaMelo Ball to be a top target in the draft alongside other candidates like James Wiseman and Onyeka Okongwu. Moving forward, draft night could ultimately decide which way this young team trends.