The Hornets Could Find Themselves in the Middle of the Race for Victor Wembanyama
Entering the season with lofty expectations to reach the playoffs, despite losing Miles Bridges, the Hornets look like an awful basketball team in preseason. Although it is the preseason, and the Hornets have been without their full team for most the games, this roster isn't built to have the success the team is aiming for. The Hornets are 0-4 in preseason losing by 41 and 25 to Boston and Indiana, respectively, and then losing in a close games against Boston and Washington. Charlotte has lost their flare in the open court and continues to struggle in transition defense and contesting perimeter shots despite the coaching change. There's a real possibility that Charlotte can end up a bottom-five team this season, willingly or not.
Like many, I watched Victor Wembanyama's exhibition games against Scoot Henderson and the G-League Ignite and could only observe in awe at what I was watching. Scoot Henderson had a phenomenal performance and looked every bit of a generational prospect, but Wembanyama stole the show.
Towering over the competition at 7'4", Wembanyama is an alien. He can run the floor like a gazelle, dribble up the court like a guard, and shoot from anywhere on the court. With his 8-foot wingspan, Wembanyama's shot is practically unguardable. The apex of his shot is just too out of reach for most to have a chance at altering. In addition, his coordination and footwork don't make sense for someone of his size. In his exhibition games against the Ignite, he made multiple turnaround shots out of the post emulating greats like Dirk and Kobe. What separates Wemby from other bigs described as "unicorns" is the fluidity that he moves with. He can come off of actions and rise up for a jumper off the catch like a guard and step back into a 25-foot 3-point shot while simultaneously having the ability to attack the paint from the perimeter and dunk over anyone who dares to try and stop him.
On the defensive end, Wembanyana's length is terrifying. He could come into the NBA right now at 18 years old and be one of the premier defenders in the league. He dissuades players from attacking him just by standing in front of the rim. He affects almost every shot attempt at the rim. He's an extraordinary weakside help defender and uses his devastating length to swat shots and create transition opportunities.
Victor Wembanyama isn't just a franchise-altering talent; he's a league-altering talent that will have every team discussing if they should take the year off to get the chance to draft him. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, one GM said, "It feels like last night will start a race to the bottom like we've never seen."
With the loss of Miles Bridges and the Eastern Conference getting better than last season, the Hornets don't have a realistic chance of making the playoffs. At that point, Charlotte will have to decide if chasing the Play-In tournament is worth it. The Hornets have a star in LaMelo Ball, but after that, the roster is full of unproven prospects and borderline starters. LaMelo needs a running mate, and tanking to have Top-5 odds at landing Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson might be the easiest pathway. If we're in January and the Hornets are five games out from the 10th seed, I believe they must strongly consider trading their veterans and joining the race for the No. 1 pick. If the Hornets want to keep LaMelo around, they must surround him with talent.
The thought of a LaMelo Ball and Victor Wembanyama P&R duo for the next decade should be enough to get ownership and fans on board with tanking this season rather than winning 32 games and getting the 10th pick.
