Why the Charlotte Hornets cannot afford to pass on Scoot Henderson

The Hornets may be wise to draft the best player available.

Another common debate when it comes to high-end NBA draft prospects is which strategy teams should opt for when making their selections. If a team is loaded in the frontcourt but has a glaring need in the backcourt, many would argue that team should take the next guard on the board to sure up that area of their roster.

This tactic of drafting for the best fit can work, but it may sometimes lead to missing out on a player that is much more talented simply because they supposedly did not fit with the team’s current roster. In the end, it can be the cause for a massive missed opportunity.

One of the most infamous examples of this would be when the Portland Trail Blazers decided to draft Sam Bowie instead of Michael Jordan in 1984. Because the Blazers were not in need of a shooting guard at that time, they lost the opportunity to draft arguably the greatest player of all time, and likely missed out on several championships as well.

The Charlotte Hornets may want to consider avoiding this tactic by simply taking the best player on the board with the second pick. After all, there is certainly a world in which a backcourt of Scoot Henderson and LaMelo Ball could be a massive success. But even in the event the fit is clunky, the Hornets will have given themselves more flexibility by picking up the best available player.

In all, the flurry of discussions around the top players leading up to draft day can be exhausting. Fans and even front offices can think so long about prospects that they start to become counter-intuitive. But when you have the option to draft a generational point guard prospect like Scoot Henderson in front of you, history will look fondly on you for not overthinking it.