The lottery balls have spoken, and the Charlotte Hornets will be choosing fourth in the first round of the 2025 draft. While that might not be the pick the Hornets and their fans wanted, there are still great options for the team to take on June 25th. In the time leading up to the draft, I will break down the players who may hear their name called at pick No. 4 to the Hornets.
One of the most intriguing prospects, and the player who will be mocked most to the Hornets, is VJ Edgecombe, a freshman guard out of Baylor University.
He came in at 6-4 without shoes on with a 6-7.5 wingspan at the NBA Combine, while also having the early lead in the vertical jump at 38.5. That vertical only partially tells the story of how much of a freak athlete this young man is. He is also making every hustle play, jumping on top of every loose ball, and regularly tapping out offensive rebounds to his teammates.
Defense
Edgecombe is a high motor, hard-nosed defender who has a knack for making life miserable for opposing offenses. He averaged 2.1 steals per game in his lone season in college, which is impressive in itself, but taking the ball away isn’t even his strong suit. He is one of the strongest, quickest, and smartest defenders I have ever seen.
The promising Bahamian prospect has the ability to guard one through four with his strength and plus wingspan. He is also the engine for team defense, being someone who communicates well with his teammates both when he is on the floor and also coaching his team from the bench. If it isn't obvious by now, the Hornets need a point-of-attack defender badly. They were 24th in the league in points per 100 possessions (117) and 26th in the league in points per play (100.3).
Offense
Offensively, Edgecombe does things the Hornets desperately need, especially from the guard position. He uses his strength and athleticism to attack the basket at will. The Hornets were dead last in field goal percentage at the rim (62.1 percent). He shot 50.4 percent at the rim, which would be near the top of the Hornets' guard rotation while being a much higher frequency than any other guard in Charlotte did.
His ability to finish through contact will help him get to the line at a high frequency, which is yet another thing the Hornets were near dead last in across the NBA, finishing at 28th in the league.
It's worth noting that VJ shot 36.0 percent from behind the arc on 4.6 attempts, which was a concern of his going into his freshman season. However, his ability to show growth in his game is extremely promising as he moves on to the next level.
NBA Comparisons
The NBA comps for VJ are interesting. His ceiling is up there with guys like Anthony Edwards, who was a freak athlete coming out of Georgia as a freshman. They had almost identical combine measurements, and both guys were the most interesting athletes in their draft. Edgecombe also shot more efficiently from the field and from 3, but Edwards averaged more points with 19.1 points per game over the 19-year-old's 15.0 points per contest.
A more realistic comparison that could have Hornets fans excited is Victor Oladipo. Both guys came into the draft as amazing athletes and defensive monsters. Oladipo was a junior coming out of Indiana, but again, their measurements were very similar. Inversely to the Edwards comparison, VJ averaged more points per game than Oladipo, but Oladipo led his conference in field goal percentage.
Fit in Charlotte
The fit of Edgecombe on the current Charlotte roster makes so much sense as well. He could be the point of attack defender between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, something the team desperately needs.
VJ, as a rookie, will be a better version of Josh Green in the starting lineup from a point of attack defense perspective. He may not shoot the 3 at a 40,0 percent clip like Green, but I expect him to shoot league average from 3 and be better than Green at every other aspect on the offensive end.
Edgecombe is also a high flyer when attacking the rim. He jumps like he hates the ground. His above-the-rim presence is going to create highlight plays with LaMelo’s passing ability. Having your wings be VJ, Brandon Miller, and Miles Bridges is going to create so many poster dunks and highlight plays at the Hornets Fanshop at the Spectrum Center, there is going to have to be a section dedicated to selling posters.
Drawbacks
Edgecombe is one of the most exciting prospects in the entire draft, but he isn’t perfect. His ball handling leaves a lot to be desired. That could hinder his ability to attack the basket at the next level. He also still has a lot to improve on with his offense. His shooting can be inconsistent, and the volume at which he scored in college adds even more question marks to that.
The Hornets’ staff will hope to help the former five-star recruit improve over the summer and during the season if he is selected by Charlotte this year.
Conclusion
Having Edgecombe in Charlotte feels like a match made in heaven. Charlotte is trying to establish “Hornets DNA” to the point where they have it written on the wall as you walk into the Hornets locker room. Head Coach Charles Lee and General Manager Jeff Peterson want guys who have ridiculous motors and want to do nothing more than to improve their craft and win basketball games.
That is exactly what VJ Edgecombe projects to be.
Charles Lee also has a focus on the defensive side of basketball as well, which is where VJ most excels. He is a plug-and-play guy who is already going to be one of the better defenders in the league and has offensive upside.