Fansided

2019 NBA Draft grades for every team: Pelicans get an A+, Rockets get an F

By Brandon Jefferson

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: Zion Williamson poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted with the first overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: Zion Williamson poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted with the first overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – DECEMBER 22: PJ Washington #25 of the Kentucky Wildcats dunks the ball in the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the CBS Sports Classic at the United Center on December 22, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – DECEMBER 22: PJ Washington #25 of the Kentucky Wildcats dunks the ball in the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the CBS Sports Classic at the United Center on December 22, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Charlotte Hornets –  D+

12th Overall – PJ Washington, Forward (Kentucky)

36th Overall – Cody Martin, Forward (Nevada)

52nd Overall – Jalen McDaniels, Forward (San Diego State)

I’m just going to come right out and say it. Michael Jordan is not good at drafts. Since he became the owner of the Charlotte Hornets in 2010, the team has had three general managers: Rod Higgins, Rich Cho, and currently Mitch Kupchak. All three have had success prior to joining the Hornets so it can’t be them that get the bulk of the blame. The one constant has been Jordan. The Greatest of All-Time is not doing are great in his second career. Given the number of trades happening in front of them in the lottery and the fact that reports got out that Charlotte was trying to move up from 12th the fact that they weren’t able to be their first failure of the night.

Secondly, PJ Washington is a fine player. He also fits the mold of a majority of the picks the Hornets have made in the Jordan-era; a non-freshman forward who has the skill to play inside out and has likely maxed out his potential in college (see: Kaminsky, Frank and Zeller, Cody). After drafting Miles Bridges last year and with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams opting into double-digit million dollar contracts, it’s hard to see where Washington gets minutes as a rookie. Now, in a year, Kidd-Gilchrist and Williams are likely gone so this could be looked at as a pick for the future. Yet, I can’t envision Bridges and Washington sharing the floor as they both are at the best as undersized power forwards, trying to get one to play small forward would come with disastrous results.

While Washington has at least showed some promise during his time in school, the Hornets second-round picks will be hit or miss players. Cody Martin of Nevada wasn’t even the best Martin brother on the Wolfpack last year, that would be his twin brother Caleb. Martin’s translatable NBA skill is his defense and at 6-foot-7 his ability to hound point guards is surely something Charlotte will attempt to use to their advantage.

Their other second round, Jalen McDaniels pick also played for a Mountain West school (San Diego State) and is also the lesser talented of two brothers—Jaden McDaniels will be a freshman at the University of Washington next season. With the Aztecs, McDaniels was never able to fully put things together on the court but there were glimpses of what he could one day become. Given the Hornets track record for developing their picks, it would seem like a long shot that Charlotte is the franchise to get the most out of him.

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