Why the Charlotte Hornets Drafted Hannes Steinbach

Welcome to Charlotte, Hannes Steinbach.

In a move that many, many draft insiders projected, the Charlotte Hornets selected Washington big man Hannes Steinbach with the 14th overall pick. The German forward/center stands 6'10" and weighted in at 248 pounds at the NBA Draft combine. He is a productive, efficient big man who brings a very specific set of strengths to Charlotte that could fit nicely with the Hornets' current front court.

Hannes' bread is buttered on the glass. He is the premier rebounder in the draft class, bringing a high-level skill to the league on day one. Steinbach posted a 14.3% offensive rebound rate, good for the 95th percentile among big men in the country last season, along with a 25% defensive rebound rate, a 74th percentile number. The Hornets have placed a major emphasis in winning the possession game during Jeff Peterson and Charles Lee's tenure, and Steinbach will aide that battle right away.

On offense, Steinbach is a pretty well-rounded big. He can score in a variety of ways, most notably, off the bounce. I think there is some untapped potential with Steinbach as a driver from the perimeter as he showed some real flashes of a tight handle and fancy footwork from a guy with legit center size.

His ceiling will be defined by his ability to develop a jump shot. There are indicators that lead evaluators to believe that Steinbach will turn into a willing and able shooter, and if he does, that will make the fit with Charlotte much neater.

If Hannes can stretch the floor, the Hornets will have a bevy of options to run in their front court. Charlotte has been desperate for a stretch big to play true five-out lineups, and to play alongside Moussa Diabate in more traditional lineups without giving up too much size to opposing front courts.

The main problems with Steinbach in Charlotte will come on the defensive end.

He's a bit of a man without a position, and will likely need to play alongside either Diabate or Kalkbrenner in order to have enough rim deterrence to survive in high-leverage minutes. Steinbach doesn't offer any rim protection despite his size -- although he weighed in at nearly 250 pounds with a 7'2" wingspan, he lacks the requisite beef, timing, and feel to truly anchor a defense as a five man.

As a whole, I really like the pick. The Hornets have been adamant about adding physicality and size to their front court, and Steinbach checks both of those boxes. He will accentuate the strengths the room already possesses while potentially adding another element if the jump shot comes around like I think it will.

Every team needs a five-out look, and Steinbach will potentially be able to provide that at significantly less cost than a player like Myles Turner or Domantas Sabonis.

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