The Charlotte Hornets own their own first-round pick and are owed second-round picks from the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers. Over the next couple of months, leading up to the 2021 NBA Draft, Swarm & Sting will take a look at prospects hoping to hear their name called on draft night.
We’ve spent a good amount of energy focusing on players that may be available when the Hornets pick in the first round with the 11th overall selection, but now we turn the page to focus on a number of players who may still be on the board when Charlotte picks at No. 56 and 57.
Age: 22
Height: 6′ 8″
Weight: 269 lbs
College Stats/Awards
RaiQuan Gray enters the 2021 NBA Draft after spending three seasons at Florida State. During the 2020-21 season, Gray played in 25 games, starting 24, averaging 11.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, while shooting 51.7% from the field and earned All-ACC 3rd Team honors.
Primary Strengths
Gray is 6’8 with a wide 260-pound frame. He has good length with great feet for his size.
Gray is great at scoring on off-ball motion plays. He does a decent job scoring in the post, off the dribble, and making plays for his teammates. Gray attacks the rim with great pace and strength, and he stays active when the ball is in the hands of his teammates.
Gray’s best skills are on the defensive end. He plays well on the ball and creates a lot of turnovers.
Primary Weaknesses
Gray doesn’t have much of an outside game. He needs to improve his shooting; at Florida State, he was a very reluctant shooter. When he does shoot the ball, he needs to make better decisions; while at Florida State, Gray was prone to take a lot of questionable shots.
Despite his size, Gray is not a good rebound. With his limited offensive skills, he’ll need to improve his rebounding if he wants to stick on an NBA roster.
Draft Projection
Gray is strong, versatile power forward and small-ball center. He is limited offensively with not a lot of upside; Gray projects to be a defensive specialist at the NBA level if he can stick on a roster. He’ll need to improve his rebounding and develop offensively, but he is an intriguing prospect to a lot of NBA teams.
His three seasons at Florida State will help him. Teams tend to draft young in the first round, but in the second round is where an experienced player like Gray can go early or fall out of the draft. Gray will be an interesting prospect to watch on July 29.
The draft lottery will be held on Tuesday, June 22 on ESPN. The 2021 NBA Draft will be held on Thursday, July 29 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The draft will be televised on ABC (first-round only) and ESPN.