NBA Draft Results: Charlotte Hornets select Shabazz Napier 24th-overall
The Charlotte Hornets entered Thursday night’s NBA Draft with a real chance to improve.
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They held the ninth-overall and 24th-overall picks in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft. With the ninth-pick, the Hornets took former Indiana Hoosiers’ big man Noah Vonleh. Vonleh was once looked at as a potential top-four pick, so the value there was fantastic.
With the ninth-overall pick, the Hornets got another fantastic value pick when they took former Connecticut Huskies’ point guard Shabazz Napier. Napier was a part of two championships with the Huskies, winning with current Charlotte Hornets’ point guard Kemba Walker running the show and then led the Huskies to another title just a few years ago.
Napier led the Huskies in scoring (18.0 points per game), rebounds (5.9 per game) and assists (4.9 per game) last season. He also recorded 1.8 steals per game and shot 42.9% from the field, 40.5% from beyond the arc and 87.0% from the free throw line. He measured in at 6’1 and 175 lbs. with a wingspan of 6’3.25 at the NBA’s Scouting Combine. He is ranked as the 28th-best prospect in the draft according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.
It looked like Napier was once again going to be playing with Walker in Charlotte, but a report has indicated the Miami Heat will be dealing the 26th-overall pick and a second round pick to the Hornets for Napier.
Napier is a perfect fit for the Heat because they desperately need a point guard (and he’s a personal favorite of LeBron James, who called him the best point guard in the draft).
Grade: A