The NBA Draft Lottery order was announced on Tuesday night, as it was a highly anticipated event in who would have the chance to draft Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick. Charlotte Hornets fans were holding their breath late but ultimately it ended up that the San Antonio Spurs landed the pick and the Hornets will follow after with the No. 2 overall pick.
With the Hornets being in our backyard, we dive into who they should be looking at and who I believe should be the pick. There is some intriguing talent in this draft near the top, but with the No. 2 pick, I believe that there are only two guys Charlotte should be looking at; Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller.
Scoot Henderson
I remember first watching Scoot back in 2020 and I was impressed with his game. Back in September 2020, I said this:
“2022 Scoot Henderson is a point guard that I’m going to love watching in the coming years. Good size, strongly built point guard, sees the floor well, and finds his teammates.”
And then watched him again against his matchup vs. Wenbanyama, where we said this:
“Henderson plays with the utmost confidence and has that tough mentality as a prospect. There isn’t a shot, a move, or a pass that he can’t make, and he showed that time after time. He is an elite scorer on the court, showing that he can knock down shots from outside along the perimeter, and be a threat from three. But he is at his best with the ball in his hands, reading and reacting against the defense, creating his own shot, getting downhill, and finding ways to score around the basket. Henderson is electric with the ball, showing his burst of speed, his ability to read and react, and showing that he can create with his crafty handles, change of speed, and pace. You add all of that with his explosiveness in the open floor, his ability to initiate and lead the charge as a point guard but also be a huge scoring factor on the floor, his underrated vision and floor sense, and the energy he plays with, Henderson has a lot that you have to like.”
All of this remains true today, as I believe he is a star in the making. Henderson has that “it” factor to his game, a player with something to prove, a player that will always will his team and is ok with putting his team on his shoulders. He is electric with the ball in his hands, relentlessly attacks, and really showed that he can score in all areas and against anyone.
Brandon Miller
The year that Miller had was impressive. He was the SEC Player of the Year, and simply put on a show nearly every time he took the court. He is a 6’9 prospect that can really shoot the ball, knocking down around 43 percent from the floor and nearly 39 percent from three. He is long, athletic, and can be lethal from so many areas of the floor.
Miller is a tough matchup, and with what he showed at Alabama, there is a lot to like but think there is still more upside to his game. He can get stronger, continue to add more to his game, but also be a lethal weapon in a position that Charlotte certainly needs. Which is why he should be in consideration for the No. 2 pick.
Who Would I Go With?
Both are tremendous prospects and think they will both be able to help the Hornets. But there is one guy that I think could really be a big-time difference-maker on the floor and that is Scoot Henderson. Each time I’ve watched him, he is something special, and believe that he will have that mindset to prove each time on the floor that he should have been No. 1. Yes, one can bring in the discussion surrounding LaMelo Ball, but I believe the Hornets will have options if they do choose Scoot. They could certainly be a dynamic duo on the court and two huge building blocks for the future. But again, there are other options as well that could be on the table.
But no matter what, I’m looking at Henderson to be the pick in my eyes.