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.
