After two seperate trades in which they move down the draft board in our scenario, the Hornets are finally picking at the twelveth spot. By moving down four spots, they were also able to pick up the 27th overall pick in this scenario.
While the Hornets have been a bit of a pleasant surprise this season (in that they are not the worst team in the league), there are still plenty of roster issues in Charlotte. Their strongest positions are in the back court, their top two scorers being listed as point guards (Rozier plays 63 percent of his minutes at the off guard position). Their third best contributor is Miles Bridges, who plays out on the wing.
Where the Hornets really need the help is up front. They attempted to address the issue last year when they selected PJ Washington in the first round, and he has had an acceptable rookie season. Bismack Biyombo has a contract that expires at the conclusion of the season, and Tyler Zeller is probably not a part of the long-term plan.
One player that Charlotte could target here is Jalen Smith out of Maryland. He has been rising up draft boards with his length and athleticism that allows him to fill the stat sheet. He is averaging 15.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game and has achieved a double-double in 10 of his last 11 contests. He also uses his length to average 2.3 blocks per game, though it is thought that in the NBA he’ll be more of a rim “deterrent” than an outright protector.
When we look back to this mock draft in a couple of months, this may be the player who we were the most wrong about. Smith’s stock is rising as his team remains in the top ten, and he has a big chance to make some noise during March Madness.