2023 NBA Draft
Who Should The Hornets Draft?
Published
1 year agoon
By
Joshua![Who Should The Hornets Draft?](https://courtsideheat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/4d9539a6-11db-457c-a5ef-f706e8cb3184_4346x2898-scaled.jpeg)
Who Should The Hornets Draft?
Who Should The Hornets Draft?
This has been a long debate for Hornets fans, NBA fans, and enthusiasts of the NBA draft: who should Charlotte select with their second overall pick? The two choices are either Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller.
Teams have been wowed by the talent of Scoot Henderson, finding him to be the best guard in this draft class. The same can be said for Brandon Miller, who is the best forward in this draft class. This conclusion has been drawn by scouts, fans, analysts, the list goes on.
The Hornets are an interesting team because of their roster dynamics, that’ll shape how they draft and move forward into the next season.
In today’s article, I will be breaking down who this team should select, why it should be either Henderson or Miller, how this fits long term, and try to make better sense of this “situation” before the 22nd.
What are the pros and cons of both players?
Brandon Miller – Pros
- Very good scorer and can shoot the deep ball nicely
- Decent playmaker
- He is a beast defensively, he’s the type of defender. that goes beyond rebounds
- Can be efficient on and off the ball
- Athletic
Brandon Miller – Cons
- Character risk
- Sometimes poor shot selections
- Lacks an explosive first step off the dribble
- Can be undisciplined at times on the court
Scoot Henderson – Pros
- Has a nice mid-range shot, a pretty good shooter
- Excels at shooting off the dribble
- Can be a usable defender
- Able to get rebounds for his size
- Terrific playmaker
- Can play very efficiently with and without the ball
- Athletic
Scoot Henderson – Cons
- Has questionable shot selections at times
- Has the ability to turnover the ball more than usual
- Struggles to defend against taller opponents
- Undisciplined at times defensively
- Shooting can become inconsistent
Who’s the better player?
Scoot Henderson is undeniably the better player as that is one of the main reasons why Charlotte is reconsidering their options for their pick. Originally it was supposed to be Miller, however, after seeing both of them work out, it is clear Henderson has the advantage over Miller.
Plus, Henderson has been transitioning to the talent the NBA has through their G-League. In the G-League, Henderson put up 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. But Miller still put up good stats for Alabama with 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.
Where people fall in love with Henderson is his ability to be the playmaking shooter, and combo guard, which many teams hope to find. Plus, he is a pretty unselfish player willing to help any team he is a part of.
Plus, scouts loved the fact he was already playing in the G-League and giving Victor Wembanyama a run for his money during their two matchups.
From his interviews to workouts, not including the film scouts have been reviewing, reports have been showing Henderson as the clear favorite to land ahead of Miller. Mock drafts, including CourtSideHeat’s lottery mock draft, have Henderson favoring Miller.
Who’s the better fit for the Hornets?
Being the better basketball player doesn’t always mean they are the best fit for that particular team. The Hornets, in this case, should be selecting Brandon Miller.
Brandon Miller does not need the ball to be effective, which works well due to LaMelo Ball always commanding the ball and working his magic for Charlotte. Whereas with Henderson, both Ball and the future rookie will be fighting over who controls the ball more, etc.
For the Hornets to have two ball-dominant players starring in the backcourt would be a mistake. You rather have a duo of Miller and Ball, why? Because you can have the playmaking guard create opportunities for the forward that doesn’t need the ball to get himself in position to score.
I fear the Hornets would have the Mavericks’ issues, which are Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving being too ball-dominant which led to some blowups on the court and created losses for the organization.
While Henderson is the better player, Miller is the better fit for the long-term success of this organization. By drafting Miller, Charlotte can start to guarantee the success of the backcourt and frontcourt, giving them a very dynamic duo for years to come.
My opinion on this whole situation:
I love both players, but I care about the success of a team more than a particular player going to a particular team. It has to make sense for both parties and it currently doesn’t make sense for this team to draft Scoot Henderson. Let the Portland Trail Blazers draft Scoot Henderson.
The ability Miller possesses of being an off-ball scorer and a true second option in Charlotte makes him more favorable. I believe, in the end, drafting Miller will be the correct decision.
When talking about positional fits, being able to work with LaMelo Ball, and going beyond the talented side of a player, it aligns everything into perspective that Miller is the right choice.
When is the draft?
The draft is on Thursday, June 22nd, starting at 5 PM MST (8 PM EST).
The Spurs have the first overall pick, followed by the Hornets, then the Trail Blazers.
CourtSideHeat will be providing full draft coverage on Twitter and the website.
2023 NBA Draft
Should Cavalier Fans Be Excited About Emoni Bates?
Published
1 year agoon
June 28, 2023By
Joshua![Should Cavalier Fans Be Excited About Emoni Bates?](https://courtsideheat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/NGYADWARHVGWBPGLDJWLOGPYLI-scaled.jpeg)
Should Cavalier Fans Be Excited About Emoni Bates?
Should Cavalier Fans Be Excited About Emoni Bates?
Despite Emoni Bates falling deep in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected a player that has upside potential and can be a good player for them.
CourtSideHeat projected Emoni Bates to go in the second round as he wasn’t going to be undrafted, but certainly not a first-round selection.
In today’s article, I will be going over the pros and cons of Emoni Bates, why fans should be getting ready for his debut, and how he’ll help the Cavaliers’ bench.
Emoni Bates – Pros
- Aggressive shooter
- Willing to take contact
- Very solid at scoring on off-ball motion plays
- Very solid scorer off the dribble
- Good enough defender
Emoni Bates – Cons
- Extremely ball dominant
- Don’t expect him to be an elite rebounder
- Spotty shot selection
- Athleticism is not the greatest – not explosive or able to keep up with taller opponents
- Turnover-prone
Bates’s stock fell when he ran into the law off of the court; while the charges have been dropped and he was reinstated to play again, Bates dealt with gun/drug charges a couple of months ago.
This is what made him into being a second-round selection.
Cavs fans should still be excited about this late pick
Fans should be anticipating the best out of Bates because he will be mentored by players like Donovan Mitchell. The way Cleveland’s organization is structured, Bates will be able to thrive and be able to get better.
Safe to say the Cavaliers know a thing or two about developing players and unlocking their hidden potential. The same can be applied to a player like Emoni Bates.
Is he superstar material?
Bates is not superstar material and most likely will never be, however, his new role in basketball will be coming off the bench and providing scoring. He will need to rework his game so that he isn’t as ball-dominant and trying to have the weight of the world on his shoulders.
He was selected with the 49th pick for a reason; this is a low-risk, medium-return pick that will serve Cleveland’s objectives on the bench.
I’m telling y’all that this coaching staff and locker room will be able to mold Bates into the player they want to have. He will find his footing in the NBA and the rest will be history for Bates as a bench player.
The bench needs help
I know people are saying he’ll be out of the league in two years, and he’ll fail in the G-League, but I believe him to be the exact opposite. The hype was ridiculous when he was in high school, but there is some truth to what people were saying about him.
Yes, Bates has flaws. However, there are some flaws in his game that can still be corrected and molded into something better. The Cavaliers need a solid bench with more shooting and I believe Bates has the ability to give them some more firepower.
Experiment and test what works and what doesn’t. This was a late-round pick that forces the Cavs to feel no pressure to make it work.
With that said Bates will provide shooting and limited playmaking abilities. I could see him averaging 8/2 in 10-12 minutes per game. He’ll impact the bench in a positive way, not in a negative way.
Conclusion
Should fans be excited about Emoni Bates joining this roster? Yes, but don’t be excited thinking he is the next LeBron James of Cleveland. He will be a nice bench player that can give this team solid minutes.
Given where he was drafted and who he is, this is not a bad selection by the Cavaliers. Their fanbase should not hate this pick because this pick was a very late pick in the first place. Understand that they have no risks involved, this is a total experimental pick.
Also, given where he was drafted, he will be a solid player as a 49th overall pick. Don’t worry Cavs fans, this relationship will work out in the end.
Emoni Bates and the Cavaliers will have a fine experiment together that will land some interesting, yet promising, results.
2023 NBA Draft
Cam Whitmore Fell Due To Concerns Over Knee, Workouts
Published
1 year agoon
June 24, 2023By
Joshua![Cam Whitmore Fell Due To Concerns Over Knee, Workouts](https://courtsideheat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/usa_today_20229773.0.jpeg)
Cam Whitmore Fell Due To Concerns Over Knee, Workouts
Cam Whitmore Fell Due To Concerns Over Knee, Workouts
Whitmore was a project top-5, top-10, lottery pick but quickly fell to number twenty to the Houston Rockets. This outcome surprised many as he was a sure lock for top 10 or at least being selected in the lottery.
Whitmore sliding to the twentieth was due to his history of knee injuries and how uninterested and almost dead he looked in pre-draft workouts. Remember, the 18-year-old broke his leg four years ago and has been trying to avoid knee injuries ever since.
Reports came out that teams saw his knees as red flags, plus teams saw Whitmore as very underwhelming during his interviews and workouts.
People have been comparing NBA champion Cam Whitmore to Michael Porter Jr., in terms of their injury history being one of the reasons they fell during draft night.
Houston selected Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore Thursday.
2023 NBA Draft
Should Suns Fans Be Excited About Toumani Camara?
Published
1 year agoon
June 24, 2023By
Joshua![Should Suns Fans Be Excited About Toumani Camara?](https://courtsideheat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Camara_3.jpeg)
Should Suns Fans Be Excited About Toumani Camara?
Should Suns Fans Be Excited About Toumani Camara?
The Toumani Camara selection has become a very polarizing selection with many writers and companies being skewed on what to think about Camara. The same can be said about fans who were trying to figure out who Phoenix was going to land.
Some people wanted Emoni Bates, some wanted Drew Timme, and the list can go on for a while. With that being said, how should fans react to their newest draft addition?
This article will be detailing Camara’s pros, and cons, how he fits well for the Suns, and what areas he can help them with.
Toumani Camara – Pros
- Solid rebounder
- Exceptional defender
- Decent shooter
- Decent playmaker
- Can shoot off the dribble
- Plays very well on both sides of the court
Toumani Camara – Cons
- Inconsistent shooter at times
- Shot preferences are limited
- Can be too passive on offense
- Shooting in traffic is questionable
- Sometimes undisciplined on both sides of the court
How well will he fit in for the Suns?
Camara can fit in very well for Phoenix as his ability to play as a combo forward will be cherished by the Suns. This organization needs more wings and with their financial situation, needs to go as cheap as humanly possible. That is why Camara is going to have a favorable chance to get quality minutes, despite being a very late second-round pick.
Camara will be Phoenix’s one opportunity of being a cost-controlled contributor to this team. Remember, they are paying for the contracts of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Deandre Ayton.
Camara will be a solid bench piece for the Suns as they’ll definitely use his services.
What areas can he help the Suns with?
Since the Suns are such an offensively-minded team, his defense will be examined closely and probably used a ton. That is where his value is at currently, he is a better defenseman than an offense-man.
Camara’s ability to cover the entire court is something special and will separate him from the rest due to his versatility. Rebounding is another key area that needs to be highlighted.
Camara has shown his abilities with Dayton to be that guy to secure rebounds, offensively or defensively.
In 2022-23, Camara averaged 13.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. But don’t forget about his two other important stats, steals and blocks. He averaged 1.2 steals and 0.8 (almost one) blocks per game.
He can give you a little offensive firepower, but his true bread and butter lie on the defensive side. Camara can be viewed as a developing rotational wing player.
If Camara is given the chance, then he could turn into a similar version of Atlanta Hawks’ Clint Capela. I believe Toumani Camara can be a solid bench piece for the Suns, who gets them 10/10 a game – if developed correctly and used properly.
CourtSideHeat’s official grade:
CourtSideHeat’s official grade is a B+, while many are criticizing this pick. I believe this was a smart move by James Jones and Mat Ishbia to hold onto this pick to draft the small forward.
They prioritized him and what they need over flipping the pick for more picks, which I believe will suit them better. As if they wanted more picks then they would make a couple of smaller trades in the far future to acquire picks. However, Phoenix can be built through free agency.
Toumani Camara will fit very well in what Frank Vogel wants out of his team offensively and defensively, plus it is another depth piece being added to a position they desperately lacked last season.
Conclusion:
Phoenix Suns fans should be happy with this pick. Don’t go into this negatively as this will work out very well; I am very high on the former Georiga, Dayton player as he will serve his purpose for this organization.
The Suns are in a fascinating situation where even 52nd picks have a prominent role in an organization. This will transition well as the Suns have one of the best coaching staffs in the entire league, which was built by Mat Ishbia.
The next stop for the Suns is free agency and offering those minimum/vet contracts.
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