The Charlotte Hornets brought in many key pieces this offseason and signed many young guys to develop alongside them. In the offseason, they signed Kelly Oubre Jr and resigned Terry Rozier to add star-power around LaMelo Ball. They have also brought in Mason Plumlee and Montrezl Harrell as big men to help grab the boards and clean up the paint.
This season they drafted first-rounders Kai Jones and James Bouknight and second-rounders Scottie Lewis and Balsa Koprivica. Lewis has been a solid player for the Greensboro Swarm and Bouknight has been plagued with the injury bug, but when healthy, has shown glimpses of stardom. One of the most underrated guys from this draft class is undrafted free agent Jalen Crutcher.
Jalen Crutcher is the Next Lethal Shooter for the Hornets
Crutcher went undrafted out of the University of Dayton in the 2021 NBA Draft. He was scooped up by the Hornets in October.
The two-time First-Team All-Atlantic 10 athlete averaged 13.5 points, 3.5 boards, and 4.9 assists per game over his four-year career with the Flyers. While accumulating a 37.5 three-point percentage, Crutcher became known as a dangerous shooter.
Now with the Swarm, he has been an absolute green machine, as he averages 16.3 points per game while shooting a team leading 42.2 percent from three. He’s putting up these numbers on an insane 63.5% true shooting percentage and a player efficiency rating of 16.6.
Crutcher is one of those rare undrafted gems that the Hornets should be excited to use going forward. His passing ability and absolutely lethal shooting remind me of Damian Lillard and Chris Paul, and if he can become as good as either of those two, then the Hornets will have uncovered a diamond.
I believe Crutcher is the next best shooter in the NBA. He’s got that swagger and confidence you want from a shooter. He’s the leader you need on your roster, who makes plays when needed and has the confidence to take the shots that others shy away from. If the Hornets commit to him, they could have a sharpshooter join their squad next season.