Hornets Draft Grades: Rating every pick in the 2023 NBA Draft

The Hornets had a very interesting NBA Draft where they were mocked online due to the fact they did not select Scoot Henderson. What is their grade?

The Hornets are a team that is trying to surround LaMelo Ball with talent. Ball’s second banana is uncertain due to off-the-court issues elsewhere on the roster. Despite having a potential All-NBA player in Ball, the team still needs a lot to get to the playoff, let alone be a team that is able to compete for a title.

The first draft selection that they made was a controversial choice that did not go over well with a lot of their fans. Still, Miller could be a good wing going forward for the team. He definitely has a chance to be a 20-point scorer.

It was rumored that they would be selecting Scoot Henderson who is seen as the better prospect but doesn’t fill a need for the team.

Let’s look at the players they did pick…

Hornets NBA Draft: Brandon Miller, Pick No. 2

Grade: B-

Miller is a very good three-point shooter and slasher who will help this team. I’m not saying that he will end up the same way as Markelle Fultz, but this felt very similar to when the 76ers decided to take Fultz instead of Jayson Tatum. The team opted for the more traditional fit with their stars already.

It also makes sense due to the fact that the future of Miles Bridges is very uncertain after committing domestic abuse two seasons ago.

Miller will probably be a very solid wing in this league. Still, as of this moment, Henderson is the better prospect so it’s very tough to give the team a good grade. Still, they ended up taking one of the two players in the second tier of prospects in this year’s draft.

Hornets NBA Draft: Nick Smith Jr., Pick No. 27

Grade: C+

The fact that the Hornets went guard with their other first round pick after not taking Scoot Henderson is very laughable. Still, Nick Smith Jr. is a bucket-getter who can probably some minutes with Ball.

He will likely end up being a back up player who gets some minutes mixed with the superstar. The fact that he is able to score is huge since this team doesn’t have a lot of players who can create primary offense. At the end of the day, this pick feels like the team regretting passing on Henderson.

Yes, this team needed a young guard whether they drafted Henderson or not, but the fact that they drafted Smith Jr. shows that this team did want a high-scoring guard like Henderson.

Hornets NBA Draft: James Nnaji, Pick No. 31

Grade: B-

After one season, it looks like 2022 first-round pick Mark Williams will be a starter for the team for a long time. With that in mind, James Nnaji is a good pick for the Hornets as a player who might be able to play bench minutes later on in his career.

The only problem that is he doesn’t seem to be that much of a different center than Williams. With Williams as the starter going forward, then it might make sense for the team to have a floor spacer as their backup big.

Although Nnaji didn’t get a lot of playing time with his club overseas, Barca, he will probably not be a good three-pointer in the NBA.

I am giving this a B-. It would be a higher grade if the team didn’t have an All-NBA talent in Ball who speeds the Hornets’ timeline.

Hornets NBA Draft: Amari Bailey, Pick No. 41

Grade: B+

Amari Bailey had first-round potential but fell to the back of the draft.

Bailey definitely has some offensive potential. Still, he will need to be able to control the ball against NBA-level defenders. He struggled to do this in college and will not do this well in the NBA at first. He could use some time in the G-League.

This is probably a really good idea for the team due to the fact that they will not have a lot of playing time for the player right now. He could end up being a player who is a scoring buckets for the team later on in his career.