Hornets NBA Draft Round Table: Who Will Charlotte Select With the 18th Overall Pick?

Projecting who the Charlotte Hornets will select with their second first-round pick.

Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Happy draft month!

Even though the Charlotte Hornets' aren't picking in the top ten like they usually do, the NBA Draft represents a watershed moment for the franchise in their climb up the Eastern Conference's hierarchy. Jeff Peterson has two picks in the middle of the first round, and assuming he uses both to add younger, cost-controlled talent to the roster, the staff at Charlotte Hornets on SI is here to predict what direction the franchise will go on draft night.

Our early projection for the 14th overall pick can be found here.

Zachary Roberts: Cameron Carr - G/F - Baylor

Cameron Carr may end up being a draft riser, but if he stays in this range, expect the Hornets to get him. They still need more guard depth, especially if they land a big at 14. Carr would be a nice microwave scorer off the bench, especially because LaMelo Ball, Coby White, Tre Mann, Josh Green, and Sion James isn't exactly the best guard rotation in the NBA.

Putting Carr in the mix means the Hornets don't ever have to play Mann (addition by subtraction) and James can really just be the POA defender on the floor at all times.

Evan Campos: Dailyn Swain - G/F - Texas

In the hypothetical scenario in which Charlotte takes Morez Johnson Jr. at pick No. 14, which is where I landed in last week’s roundtable, my brain keeps coming back to Santa Clara’s Allen Graves as a player who makes all the sense in the world as one of the Hornets’ selections this draft cycle. But I just do not see Charlotte using both of its first-round picks on players who are likely best deployed as fours long term, so I am going with Dailyn Swain here if they keep this pick.

Swain’s skill set helps address one of the biggest fundamental issues on Charlotte’s roster. The Hornets have plenty of skill and shooting on the perimeter, but they still lack the requisite rim pressure and finishing efficiency you would ideally want from a team looking to make serious noise in the Eastern Conference next season. Swain is one of the best players in this class at doing exactly that — getting to the rim, finishing at a high clip, and creating havoc defensively, another area Charlotte could use more of. With his jump shot and decision-making still needing work at the NBA level, Charlotte would likely have the luxury of giving him time to develop in Greensboro. By the second half of the season, though, he could be ready to start contributing in a meaningful way.

Owen Watterson: Allen Graves, F - Santa Clara

If you looked at Graves at a very brief glance and had never watched him play before, it’d be easy to brush him aside. Didn't start last year. Not the greatest wingspan in the world for a guy who projects mainly as a PF. Played at a mid-major in Santa Clara.

The deeper you dive into his profile, the more tantalizing it gets. Our own Matt Alquiza wrote a profile of Graves, and gave some astounding analytics for him. Here are a few of those from Matt: “He is one of this draft classes premier prospects in terms of impacting the possession game, sporting a 100th percentile steal rate (4.9%), 99th percentile offensive rebound rate (13.9%), 99th percentile assist/turnover ratio (2.5), 87th percentile block rate (5.0%).”

Matt also adds Graves does the NBA analytical thing on the court, too, by passing up mid range shots for more preferred shots behind the arc and at the rim.

Graves shoots a beautiful free throw, which is a good indicator the shot can translate at the next level. Graves also has massive hands of the Kawhi Leonard ilk, and can do something at PF the Hornets do NOT have right now in Bridges/Williams: Rebound the crap out of the ball at an elite level, while also being switchable and competent defensively. Graves has absolute upside as a scorer, too. I believe he compliments Moussa Diabate incredibly well.

Charlotte may have to move up from just 18 after picking at 14 if they want to grab him for certain… but I believe that option is in play, without question. Major upside here to be a long-term NBA player with lots of intangibles, without the elite-athletic profile.

Matt Alquiza: Ebuka Okorie - G - Stanford

I'm fully 'draft a guard with the 18th overall pick' pilled at this point.

Like Evan said, Charlotte desperately needs a perimeter player who can provide consistent rim pressure to open up Charles Lee's three-point centric offense. Okorie is this draft classes' premier rack attacker, ranking in the 99th percentile among college guards of unassisted rim attempts and rim attempts, while racking up free throws at an elite clip.

He's on the smaller size for a lead guard, but Okorie boasts all of the traits undersized lead ball handlers need to thrive at the NBA level. He may not play a major role early in his professional career if he lands in Charlotte, but Okorie would represent the perfect third guard behind LaMelo Ball and Coby White to insulate the Hornets' offense in case of an injury to one of their two primary creators.