Charlotte Hornets: Success is product of finally having a GM who drafts well
By Jason Huber
They might not be anywhere near championship contender yet, but for the first time in what feels like ages, the Charlotte Hornets are putting a product on the floor every night that competes, is entertaining and most importantly, has a bright future.
After years of bad draft picks, the Charlotte Hornets seem to have finally found their footing in the right direction
When general manager Mitch Kupchak was hired in 2018, he was coming off an extremely successful 17-year run with the Los Angeles Lakers that resulted in multiple championships.
Arriving from arguably the most successful franchise in the NBA to Charlotte was a tall task, and through his first few years at the helm, Kupchak has managed to make the Hornets something they haven’t been since the late 1990s and early 2000’s: Relevant.
Since NBA basketball returned to Charlotte in 2004, the team saw the likes of Bernie Bickerstaff, Rod Higgins and Rich Cho each take their turn as the team’s GM.
There were some dark, dark years.
Mitch Kupchak has brought optimism back to the fan base thanks to his drafting
So, when Kupchak was hired as the general manager, there was well-warranted pessimism from the fan base that hadn’t seen winning in forever.
Did Charlotte just bring in an older guy that is past his glory days?
Kupchak made it clear that for a small-market franchise like Charlotte, the way to win wasn’t necessarily by making big splashes in free agency, but it was to draft well and make savvy trades.
He’s done exactly that with the franchise.
Most notably, besides this year, which has yet to be seen, Kupchak has had a stellar track record through his first three NBA Drafts. And it hasn’t even come with very high draft picks except for LaMelo Ball at No. 3 overall last year.
In 2018, Kupchak’s first draft move as GM was selecting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with the 11th overall pick before immediately trading him to the Los Angeles Clippers for the 12th pick, Miles Bridges.
It took a few years, but Bridges is having a breakout year this season, and looks like he’ll be a franchise cornerstone for years to come.
In that same draft, Kupchak traded for Devonte’ Graham, the 34th overall pick, who ended up being one of the steals of the draft.
In 2019, Kupchak selected PJ Washington with the 12th pick and Cody Martin in the second round. Both have become glue-guys on this Hornets team despite some inconsistencies. Even if it doesn’t work out in Charlotte, they have plenty of value for future trades.