Hornets expect ‘special player’ from No. 3 draft pick. In this class, it’s no guarantee
The expectation is set: A special player to the Charlotte Hornets
“With a top-3 pick, most times you can get a special player,” Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak said Thursday night, after his team jumped from eighth to third in the draft lottery.
“Somebody who you can say is going to be a starter in the league, even on a good team. That would be our hope.”
Hornets coach James Borrego called Thursday a huge night for the franchise: For the first time in 21 years, Charlotte’s NBA team jumped up in a draft lottery. They will pick third Oct. 16, after finishing this season with the NBA’s eighth-worst record at 23-42.
The Hornets had just a 19% chance at a top-3 pick in the weighted lottery. They haven’t picked this high since selecting Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist second overall in 2012. The last time the Hornets moved up in a lottery was 1999, when they hopped from 13th to third to select Baron Davis.
What will the third pick get them? Maybe a shooting guard like Georgia’s Anthony Edwards. Or a big man like James Wiseman, who dropped out of Memphis early last season following eligibility issues. Or they could go international, perhaps, with a dynamic wing player in Israeli pro Deni Avdija.
Position won’t decide pick
One thing is certain: Position will not determine this pick. While the Hornets have need for a rim-protector and a wing scorer, Kupchak said again Thursday night that this rebuild is still far too new to focus on roster balance.
“I don’t think our team is at the stage of development where we could say, ‘We need a big’ or ‘We need a guard’ or ‘We need a wing,’ and we pass on maybe better talent (in order) to fill a position.
“... We need to add talent to this team, no matter what position it is. If we have duplication, then great: We’ll figure it out.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves jumped into the top spot in the draft order. Golden State will pick second, then the Hornets and the Chicago Bulls in the four positions determined by the lottery.
The Warriors are clearly the wild card: They had the worst record in the NBA at 15-50, but that was a function of constant injuries to key players, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson among them. The Warriors are still in championship mode, and Kupchak noted a report by ESPN that Golden State could be highly motivated to trade for immediate help.
This draft pool is dramatically different than 2019, when it was obvious Duke forward Zion Williamson would be the No. 1 overall pick regardless of which team got that selection. The New Orleans Pelicans got Williamson No. 1; he missed much of the season with injury.
No consensus on draft order
In an interview with The Observer last week, Kupchak said there seems no clear consensus how the top of the draft might go. Kupchak said he’s confident, despite the pandemic, the front office is up to speed on all the prospects. However, continuing NBA restrictions, related to health-and-safety protocols, will likely mean no visits to Charlotte by top prospects.
“We haven’t had a chance, and we probably won’t have a chance, to bring any of the players in,” said Kupchak, whose team also has the 32nd and 56th overall picks. “Zoom interviews will be helpful to some degree.
“A top-3 pick is a good thing — it presents us with a lot of options for a small-market team. I think I’ve been pretty consistent that we have to look at improving this team through the draft or trades.”
The Hornets are expected to have salary-cap space this offseason for the first time in years, but Kupchak does not plan to spend heavily on the 2020 free-agent class. Kupchak said he would listen if teams approach him with trade proposals for No. 3:
“Getting that pick will present us with possibilities beyond just drafting a player.”
Not foolproof
While this is the best roster tool the Hornets have had since Kupchak and Borrego arrived in Charlotte in the spring of 2018, it’s not automatic they will find a game-changer: Neither Kidd-Gilchrist nor Adam Morrison, the third overall pick in 2006, turned this franchise into a consistent playoff team.
“There’s no guarantee that just because you’ve got a top-3 pick that there are three franchise-altering players out there,” Kupchak acknowledged. “Or that we know who those three are.”
Kupchak feels good about the scouting, despite the pandemic canceling the NCAA tournament and cutting conference tournaments short in March. He was in Europe in January — earlier than he usually goes — so he has a feel for the international talent, as well.
Kupchak gave a shout-out to point guard Devonte Graham, who was the Hornets’ representative in the lottery, done virtually this time.
“I had a good day and I brought my lucky items with me: My dog’s dog tags and my Kobe Bryant face mask,” Graham said.
“I think that did the trick for us.”
This story was originally published August 21, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Hornets expect ‘special player’ from No. 3 draft pick. In this class, it’s no guarantee."
