Charlotte Hornets: 4 reasons why Kemba Walker leaving worked out great

Had Kemba Walker not left Charlotte, it’s likely the Hornets wouldn’t have been in a position to draft LaMelo Ball.

After Walker left following the 2019-20 season, the Hornets actually won a little bit more than experts predicted, going 23-42 before the COVID-19 pandemic cut the season short.

With that record, Charlotte had the eighth-best odds to win the 2020 NBA lottery but found luck, jumping all the way to the third overall spot to select LaMelo Ball.

In a draft that was very top-heavy, but not a strong draft overall, it was a blessing in disguise that the Hornets moved up in the lottery for the first time in 21 years.

Had Walker committed to staying in Charlotte, the Hornets very likely would have had more than 23 wins and would have either made the playoffs as a low seed or had worst-odds in the lottery with a better record.

Even if they did luck out, they wouldn’t have a need to draft a point guard with Walker locked up for the foreseeable future.

Things worked out just fine.

Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman were the first two players drafted, leaving Ball as the next-best player available.

Opting to play overseas and not play in college, Ball was only 18 years old and there were a lot of uncertainties about how he could adjust to the NBA, but after his rookie year, he’s proven that he can be the face of the Hornets franchise for a long, long time.