By noballer07

Now that the Hornets’ season is long past, and we are nearing the NBA Finals, there is no doubt that the front office is taking a look at a few prospects that will be available in this year’s NBA Draft. Now its true that I’m no NBA GM, and that my ideas are only as good as any old Joe speculating about the Draft, but I believe that I have a basic understanding of the Hornets’ needs and what players might fit.

Now lets do a bit of recap here. The Hornets last year created a big void at SG, giving up on rising star J.R. Smith and trading him to Chicago along with stalwart PF P.J. Brown for Tyson Chandler (good trade, obviously). Now I have been a long standing fan of J.R.’s skills ever since the Hornets surprised me and others by selecting him with the 18th pick in 2004. Since taking over for the departed David Wesley, Smith wowed fans with his raw athleticism and playmaking abilities off the dribble. But, as with many young players in the NBA, he began to lack the drive to keep his starting position the next season, and started to show his unwillingness to play within the offense, putting him in Byron Scott’s doghouse and eventually leading to his trade. This left the team with underachiever Kirk Snyder and little to nothing behind him. The departure of Snyder and arrival of sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic shook up the lineup even more, putting Desmond Mason at the 3 spot and Peja at the 2.

With all of that said, obviously sliding Peja Stojakovic at the shooting guard spot did not pay off, as he suffered a back injury early in the season and hindering the Hornets’ chances at a possible future playoff run. Despite this, the Hornets adjusted, acquiring former Spurs/Jazz guard Devin Brown, who stood out and averaged 11.6 points per game in 58 games. Don’t get me wrong, Brown was an integral part in the Hornets and their staying in the playoff race (although failing to make it), but he still isn’t a solid number one option and there is no depth behind him besides oft-injured Bobby Jackson. The Hornets desperately need a two-guard that can score off the dribble, shoot, play defense, and can eventually start full-time. In this year’s draft, you won’t see many that fit the bill, but there are some.

Here are a few players that the Hornets could look at that fit my description (although not to a tee). Nick Young from USC might be a good pick at 13. He is a solid ball handler that can create his own offense, utilizing a variety of moves effectively. Despite this, his driving and defensive skills might be hindered due to his lack of a strong frame and occasional lapses in motivation. Young would probably give us what we wanted in J.R. Smith without the attitude and with more drive. Another good player for the Hornets that I am high on myself is Derrick Byars from Vanderbilt. A lot of people believe that Byars is more of a late first round pick, but I think his skills and intangibles would not make him being selected at 13 a ‘reach.’ Byars is a solid finisher that can also make his own offense, and has a pretty effective jumper; spot up and off the dribble. His frame allows for good potential defensively, even though he isn’t always as aggressive as he should be. If one would need to compare him with a player currently on the Hornets, I would say Devin Brown except with better range and finishing skills. I think he’d be a solid option in case Brown fails or just doesn’t improve.

If the Hornets are bold, they would probably gamble on Rudy Fernandez, who is definitely more of a reach at 13 than Byars. A lot of folks like to compare his skills to Manu Ginobili, which I agree with as long as he gains about 25-30 pounds to be that effective at the NBA level. I doubt Bower and the rest of the staff would take this risk, as they have neither a long or successful record in drafting and developing international prospects.

Now, to what everyone else says. I can’t tell you how many mocks I have seen that has us selecting either F Al Thornton from Florida State or Thaddeus Young from GT. While I agree that either of these players might be the BPA at 13, but the fact is is that the Hornets don’t need either of them. Maybe it’s just the conservative nature in me? You see, Thornton might not get that many opportunities to show how he can help the offense, with Stojakovic running the small forward next season (barring injury, of course; let us pray) and David West being a solid player at power forward. Let’s also remember that Cedric Simmons is awaiting his turn to show us his defensive skills, and that Hilton Armstrong needs some PT to develop as well. Unless the Hornets figure out some way to put Thornton into the offense in a way that he will be effective while maximizing the talents of the current players (think Reggie Bush and Deuce), then I don’t see this pick being viable. Same thing with Thaddeus Young, even though we could use more depth at small forward (this might take away from Rasual Butler though). Besides, I don’t think Scott wants to gamble on a young, raw player such as he, remembering the J.R. Smith experience.
So folks, this was my first blog post of many to come; I promise they won’t be as long . Whatever the Hornets decide to do, I will respect their decision and hope for the best.

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