NBA Draft 2018: 5 targets for Charlotte Hornets

5. Michael Porter Jr. (Missouri)

Michael Porter Jr., the former consensus number one overall recruit, was once considered a lock to be in contention for the number one overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft. However, his one-and-done year at Missouri did not go as expected. Porter Jr. played a whole two minutes in the Tigers opener before he was sidelined for all but Missouri’s last two games of the season with a back injury.

Porter Jr. looked nothing like the player that had become the most sought-after recruit in his class in the few games he played last year. He lacked explosiveness and looked uncomfortable playing on the perimeter. At 6-foot-10, Porter Jr.’s ability to play like a wing was a key factor in his potential superstar projection as a prospect.

Had Porter Jr. had the year many expected to head into his freshman season it is unlikely that there would even be a chance that the Charlotte Hornets could land him with the eleventh overall pick this year. But, Porter Jr.’s stock has begun to experience a slight slide and he can go anywhere from seventh through fifteenth in June — ESPN’s first mock draft show had Porter Jr. falling to the Wizards at 15.

The Hornets have not had much luck in the draft outside of Kemba Walker. Yet, Charlotte’s inability to surround Walker with the necessary talent has his future in Queen City very much up in the air.

There’s an inherent risk involved in drafting Porter Jr. — back injuries at any age are a serious red flag — yet if he drops to the Hornets at 11 they cannot afford to pass up the chance at bringing in a prospect with his combination of potential and talent. If he’s completely back to the player he was prior to his injury, then Michael Jordan may finally have hit big in the draft (bringing in Tar Heel brethren, Mitch Kupchak, as his latest general manager should help roster building).