Charlotte Hornets: How important is this year’s draft?

The Charlotte Hornets have done very well drafting the past couple of seasons, but this draft doesn’t even hold a candle to the talent that was available last season. Last year in the NBA Draft, there were around 10-15 names that had the ability to be top 10 picks; this year there are only 8-10 names.

The Hornets are knocking on the door to becoming an organization that will consistently contend for the playoffs. This past season the Hornets, with the acquisition of LaMelo Ball, took an unbelievable step in the right direction, but have room to grow. Looking at most of the teams that are current competitors, you’ll notice that most of them have a young superstar leading their team. The draft is extremely important in hopes of creating a young core to help win games.

The big question that needs to be answered is what are the Hornets planning on doing in free agency, and what type of team are they wanting to build? With the draft being this week, the Hornets need to know that this pick could be a pivot point as Charlotte is looking to continue moving forward as an organization. There has been one name in particular that has been mentioned as a primary target for the Hornets, Texas center Kai Jones.

Charlotte lacks an athletic, defensive center, and Jones could become a player that fills that void. Jones is an extremely athletic center who plays well in the transition game and has the ability to handle the ball on the perimeter. He also shows the ability to play great defense in the paint which was severely lacked this past season. Jones also fits the Hornets perfectly with his ability to shoot the ball from three. It’s hard not to like what you see Jones, and should the Hornets have a chance to get him, Charlotte should pull the trigger immediately.