Hornets mock draft roundup: Who makes sense at No. 6 overall?
By Evan Sidery
The 2024 NBA Draft is now exactly five weeks away. Closing in another important moment for the Charlotte Hornets to accelerate their rebuilding efforts, they must hit on their selection at No. 6 overall.
When scanning through mock drafts from intel-based draft pundits, the predictions for Charlotte are all over the board. Outside of Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher, two French prospects expected to be drafted by the Hawks and Wizards, any of the top-level prospects appear in play for the Hornets.
Without further ado, let’s go ahead and dive into the latest batch of Hornets-centric mock draft results.
ESPN — Donovan Clingan, Big, UConn
Does Clingan actually make sense alongside Mark Williams in Charlotte’s frontcourt? Personally, I believe it’s questionable at best due to Clingan having to develop a reliable floor-spacing repertoire offensively.
Sure, the double-big aspect with the Minnesota Timberwolves might spark new team-building ideas, but it only works because of Karl-Anthony Towns’ special shooting abilities. With Clingan and Williams, that is two non-spacers who appear rather redundant with similar strengths and physical traits.
“Charlotte looks like a soft landing spot, with a clear need at the five to help shore up their defense behind Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball,” ESPN’s Jeremy Woo wrote. “Landing Clingan, arguably the top rim protector in the draft, would be an ostensible coup for the Hornets after their pick slipped here.”
If the Hornets decided to draft Clingan at No. 6 overall, it should immediately spark questions about Williams’ long-term future with the organization.
Bleacher Report — Reed Sheppard, Ball Handler, Kentucky
This is where it gets really fun, in terms of going all-in on a potentially dynamic offense in Charlotte. The Hornets appear to be Sheppard’s most logical fit in the top half of the lottery, but he’s also receiving notable buzz to potentially go to the Houston Rockets or San Antonio Spurs ahead of them.
Sheppard’s freshman campaign at Kentucky was nothing short of fantastic, and his analytical stats show a player ready to translate his strengths immediately at the next level. In only 28.9 minutes per game coming off the bench, Sheppard averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 steals while carrying an elite 69.9 true shooting percentage.
“His offensive fit in Charlotte does seem strong,” Jonathan Wasserman wrote. “The Hornets can pair Sheppard with a 6’7” guard and playmaker in LaMelo Ball and a big scoring wing in Brandon Miller.”
Sheppard sits near the top of Swarm & Sting’s favorite fits for the Hornets at No. 6 overall. Not only can Sheppard seamlessly fit alongside Ball and Miller, but he provides potential point guard insurance as well with his untapped playmaking upside.
While different prospects, a former Kentucky Wildcat who ended being a lottery pick is a strong ceiling comparison for Sheppard: Devin Booker.
Comparing Sheppard and Booker head-to-head with per-36 projections paints an interesting picture for an offensive archetype to mold:
Sheppard = 15.5 points, 5.6 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 3.1 steals; 69.9 TS%
Booker = 16.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists; 60.0 TS%
We will find out more on the Hornets’ preferred prospects the closer get to June 26. Prospects like Clingan and Sheppard appear to be firmly in play for Charlotte, so stay tuned to Swarm & Sting for all the latest draft news.