With one day remaining before the 2023 NBA Draft, excitement continues to grow among Charlotte Hornets fans. Ever since the team landed the second overall pick in the draft more than a month ago, the opportunity to add an ultra-talented prospect to the roster has been drawing closer and closer.
No, Charlotte did not obtain the ultimate prize of the top pick and the right to select the most hyped prospect in a generation in Victor Wembanyama, but they got the next best thing. Entering the draft lottery with just 12.2 percent odds at getting the second pick, the Hornets still have to feel good about their current situation.
Now comes the question of who they should select. For much of the 2022-23 NBA season, Scoot Henderson of the G League Ignite was considered far and away the second-best prospect in the 2023 draft class. Many analysts stated that if Wembanyama did not exist, Henderson would be a clear choice for the number one pick.
But a few months ago, the narrative started to shift. Talk of Alabama’s Brandon Miller being the better choice at pick number two started to surface, and fans began debating who they believe the team should have their sights set on.
Miller, along with Amen Thompson and others projected near the top of the draft, are all extremely skilled and valuable prospects that any team would be lucky to draft. But with the unique opportunity the Hornets have in front of them, they simply cannot afford to miss out on Scoot Henderson.
Scoot Henderson’s talent is undeniable.
The first reason why Charlotte needs to bite the bullet and draft Henderson is his sky-high natural ability. Playing in a league of mostly grown men this past season, Scoot more than held his own and showed why he has All-Star potential once he reaches the NBA.
Henderson is in a league of his own among his draft classmates when it comes to pure speed and athletic ability. His explosiveness makes him a lethal threat to score off the bounce, and he can play above the rim far better than the majority of players his size. It is one of the main reasons he has drawn comparisons to the likes of a young Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose.
While no player is perfect, Scoot is about as close as you can find to the ideal point guard prospect. His body is already built out and NBA-ready, and he has all the physical tools needed to succeed at the next level. He is set up to maximize his potential in the best way possible.
NBA draft history favors Scoot Henderson.
With Henderson’s natural talent and experience playing at the professional level, it should be a no-brainer that he will be ready to compete in the NBA from day one. Anyone who has watched him play knows that he will have less trouble adapting to the physical style of play than his peers.
But unfortunately, NBA teams have not always prioritized the right things when evaluating prospects in the draft. The idea of a team choosing a Brandon Miller over a Scoot Henderson is not an entirely new concept.
Take the 2018 NBA draft, for example. Deandre Ayton was the supposed clear number one pick. After that, many debated whether Duke’s star big man Marvin Bagley III or the international phenom Luka Doncic was the right pick at number two.
Doncic had just capped off an incredible season in Europe, where he helped Real Madrid capture the EuroLeague championship while winning the league’s MVP award. In the second-best basketball league in the entire world, he had dominated and shown himself to be more than ready to play in the NBA.
Despite this, many draft scouts and analysts were unconvinced that a European player would be a surefire star in the NBA, despite mountains of evidence to the contrary. Doncic’s experience playing against professionals as a teenager proved to be worthy preparation, as he has now earned four All-NBA first team nods in his first five seasons in the league.
Scoot is in a similar situation. While it may be tempting to opt for some of the other high-end talent near the top of the draft, it is likely not a gamble that will age well.
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.