It took a stroke of good luck for James Bouknight to fall into the Charlotte Hornets’ lap at the 11th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. The former Connecticut prospect was rumored to be a sure top 10 selection but teams decided to pass on him. Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak also declared that he was not expecting Bouknight to be available at that point of the draft and this is why the Hornets hope that this could be the steal of the draft.
Now that Bouknight is a Hornets player it is worth trying to understand how he can be used in Charlotte’s system both offensively and defensively. Bouknight fits the team’s timeline very well, he doesn’t turn 21 until the start of next season and this is on the path with the rest of the Hornets young core. Adding young and raw talent was a prerogative of Kupchak’s entering this draft and selecting a player like Bouknight addresses this.
Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak says he plans to add "talent" first and foremost in the draft without regard to position and that he assumes at #11 the player the Hornets take -- assuming they stay at that spot -- will be 18 or 19 years old.
— Scott Fowler (@scott_fowler) July 26, 2021
If we look at the selection the Hornets made in the previous draft it is fair to state that the organization likes athletic and versatile players that also have some sort of experience at college levels. Bouknight spent two seasons at UCONN and displayed a good willingness to improve from year one to year two and also fits the mold as an explosive and very skilled player.
In the post-draft press conference, Kupchak underlined that he is going to be able to play different positions situationally, shifting from an off-ball role like Terry Rozier’s to a more ball-dominant one when LaMelo Ball needs help in creating offense. Also, with a 6’5, 190-pound frame he should be able to hold his own against other guards in the NBA.
Let’s now dive into both the offensive and defensive sides of the court to understand how Bouknight may impact Charlotte’s system.