Scoot Henderson has spent the majority of this past season being viewed as a surefire second-overall draft pick, going directly behind Victor Wembenyama. However, on May 16, the Charlotte Hornets landed the second selection in the 2023 draft after moving up two spots in the lottery.
Now, Henderson’s chances of going second look far less clear-cut. It’s not that Henderson is a bad player or has underperformed during his year with the G-League ignite. Nor is it because his pre-draft interviews have failed to impress.
If we’re being honest, Henderson has done everything right up to this point. He’s played hard, improved, carried himself professionally, and made an impact whenever the lights were shining on him. Unfortunately, the NBA is all about situation and fit – and that’s where things start to get murky for Henderson when thinking about a potential pairing with the Hornets.
With that being said, here are three reasons why the Hornets should avoid adding Scoot Henderson with the second-overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft.
3 – Long-term fit next to LaMelo Ball
Throughout the ages, we’ve seen plenty of teams attempt to pair two ball-dominant guards together. While that strategy can be enough to get you into the post-season, the lack of cohesiveness that usually comes with two ball-dominant guards often projects as a tricky obstacle to overcome.
After all, LaMelo is developing into one of the best passers in the NBA and has a skillset designed for primetime, is it really worth rocking that boat to add another primary ball-handler to the equation? Especially when that decision could have a direct impact on the development of both LaMelo and Scoot Henderson.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported on May 18, LaMelo is likely to sign a contract extension with the Hornets this summer, which would further impact the long-term prospects of Henderson, should the Hornets acquire him on draft night.
"“I don’t believe there’s a clear-cut favorite after [Victor] Wembanyama,” Marks wrote. “There’s an argument that Charlotte should not go [Scoot] Henderson with LaMelo Ball on the roster and likely to sign an extension in the offseason.”"
Instead, the Hornets should focus their attention on drafting a player who provides upside at a position of need and whose skillset complements that of LaMelo, rather than overlaps it.