EuroBasket star continues to make Hornets regret 2021 draft decision

In the summer of 2021, the Charlotte Hornets had the opportunity to add a game-changer in the draft. Unfortunately, they missed out on one after skipping Alperen Sengun with their No. 11 pick. The big man contending for the EuroBasket 2025 MVP award only exacerbates the Hornets' regret in passing him over for James Bouknight.

In Charlotte's defense, choosing Bouknight looked like a brilliant move at the time. He displayed the potential to be a three-level scorer during his two-year stint at the University of Connecticut. Furthermore, he turned a lot of heads during the pre-draft process, particularly at the draft combine. So, it's easy to see how the Hornets had thought the shooting guard could give their subpar offense from the previous season a boost.

Hornets fans need no reminding of how tremendous a bust Bouknight turned out to be. He had been unable to find his footing in Charlotte. Making matters worse were his off-court issues, including driving under the influence just before the start of the 2022-23 regular season. The organization didn't even get any value out of him at the end of his tenure, waiving him in the middle of the 2023-24 campaign.

On the other hand, Sengun has developed into one of the best centers in the NBA, securing what is likely the first of many All-Star berths last season. He has continued to show his accelerating improvement while representing Turkey in this year's EuroBasket.

Sengun led his squad to a 5-0 finish in the group phase, averaging 21.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game. Impressively, he ranks in the top six in each stat despite the tournament featuring plenty of big names, including Nikola Jokic. He even one-upped the three-time MVP during the Turkey-Serbia duel, steering his side to victory to clinch the top spot in their group.

Hornets can only wish to have someone like "Baby Jokic"

Another reason Charlotte is probably ruing the results of the 2021 draft is that it has had a dearth of high-quality fives since then. Kai Jones, its other first-round selection that year, also didn't pan out well in Buzz City and figured in some off-court controversies like Bouknight. The Hornets' first-round pick the following year, Mark Williams, had exhibited star potential but spent too much time on the sidelines to prove that he is their center of the future.

It's still unclear how the franchise can land a star big man, although acquiring an All-NBA-level double-double machine with elite playmaking skills could just be a pipe dream for the Hornets. Maybe targeting a starting-caliber big is the more realistic alternative, especially if Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner cannot establish themselves as worthy of holding that position for the organization.

The silver lining is that Charlotte fared pretty well in the draft this summer. So, hopes are high that it can avoid the mistakes of 2021 in the years to come.