Charlotte Hornets Best and Worst Case Scenarios for the Draft

Best Case Scenario #1: LaMelo Ball Falls to #3

LaMelo Ball is the best prospect in the class. That should be sufficient reasoning.

Ok but seriously, Ball would be great for a couple of reasons. First off, in my opinion he has the best mix of floor and ceiling in the whole draft class. He is one of the very few players in this draft class to have superstar potential, but with his size and skillset his floor seems to be at least a solid starter for a pretty long time. He is an elite passer with elite ball-handling, who despite lacking the strength to finish through contact consistently still shot around 55% in the paint.

His shooting stats look bad, but the touch is there to develop an at least decent three-point shot, and I REALLY buy that his jump shot will improve. On the defensive side, his effort sometimes looks bad and he makes some questionable reads off the ball, but his blend of size and quick hands, feet, and hips, point towards potential improvement on that side of the ball.

He also has shown flashes of rotational ability which is key. He’ll likely never be a solid defender, but if his effort improves, he adds strength to his frame, and he becomes better off the ball, he won’t be a lost cause on the defensive side of the ball. Ball would be an absolutely fantastic selection if he’s available at 3rd overall.