Hornets got the number two pickn
the 2023 draft after a roller coaster
of a lottery night for Hornets s
bringing one of them Walker mail
from locked on Hornets Walker.
I mean, it's almost like there
was a gut punch followed by oh,
they still got the number two p.
Yeah, I I can't tell you the
emotions I felt, Nick. I had.
I'd been talking myself into believing,
right? Like I didn't actually believe.
But I was faking it until I mad.
I was trying to believe that the
Hornets actually could get the
number one overall selection,
doing lockdown Hornets, you kno,
going on WFNZ every single day.
I was trying to give the
people something to pull for,
but I myself was suffering with some.
It's probably not going
to happen type of feeling.
And then they revealed all the way to two
before we got to see the Hornets logo.
And so it's weird.
Because this night does mean so much.
Nick. It's so weird.
These little ping pong balls, 1001 of them.
Adam Silver Mark Tatum.
They change everything. It's it's nuts.
And and so I was thinking I was
living in that alternate univer.
Oh my goodness.
They almost had Victor women.
Yama who has been compared to
LeBron James as a prospect.
Something we quite literally
have not seen before.
But as I got over that which tok
a little bit but as I got over .
Scoot, Henderson.
Was also tabbed as a guy that ia
draft that did not have Victor Women,
Yama in it,
would usually go number one ove.
Now Brandon Miller had a great
year at Alabama.
I know a lot of people like what
Brandon Miller brings to the ta,
even maybe a little smidge of Cam Whitmore.
I think Scoot Henderson should be the pick.
Awesome player.
That's what I think the Charlotte Hornets
should do with the second overall pick.
And you're right, overall Nick,
it's still a very good night.
It wasn't the best night.
It was not the best.
The best would have landed
Victor Women Yama here.
But it's still very, very good and I'm.
I'm ultimately happy with it.
Before we get into Scoot and
Lamelo and how all of that work,
I asked Mitch Cub check if he wd
still pick a point guard based n
the fact that he already has on.
And he kind of said yes,
but then he was like, well,
we've added more talent the last three years,
which allows us to be
picky based on position.
I mean, are you of the mind that
Scoot Henderson is so clearly te
number two pick in this draft?
Do you think that's how
most evaluators see it?
I think the first question is
or the first answer is, yeah,
I do think that he's pretty cley
the second best prospect here.
I I don't think every
evaluator sees it that way.
Nick, we're going to be having g
time debates about whether Brann
Miller or Scoot Henderson should
be that second overall selectio.
I am firmly in the camp of
draft another point guard,
combo guard type over what Brann
Miller brings to the table,
but there's going to be that conversation.
There's going to be that debate
for the next month and it's goig
to get pretty heated now for me,
I just think.
It's a it's a great question you asked
because so many times Mitch Kupk
would tell you that they were nn
a position to draft based off of need.
We just need all the talent coming in.
It doesn't matter if that means5
talented point guards or whatev.
We need all of the assets.
We need all of the talent.
But the fact that he did give a
little bit of an answer saying,
well, maybe we can.
If there's two guys in the same tier,
we can go towards the position
we feel best fits our roster.
Yeah,
that is interesting and we'll se
what Mitch Kupchak ultimately.
Really does on draft night.
What do you like about Scoot and
how do you think it could and wd
work with he and Lamelo both he?
I think Lamelo and Scoot are a fantastic
pairing and there's a lot of pee
that are going to tell you they're not.
The reason I think they are is because
Lamelo Ball absolutely can play off ball.
His catch and shoot numbers
have been absolutely fantastic.
He is legitimately one of the
better shooters in the NBA.
You could put him in a very top
tier within the Association,
not only off of the dribble but also the
catch and shoot numbers are fantastic.
And we've seen him play with anr
quasi ball handler again before and and
quasi is probably not the right word.
But he's played with another, me
secondary ball handler and Terry Rosier.
Now imagine being a supreme ath,
just an out of this world
athlete like Scoot Henderson.
Who is also, I think a better ball handler.
I think a better decision maker,
a linebacker in the backcourt
who provides great rim pressure.
So Lamella is someone that
shoots extremely well,
doesn't provide a whole lot of rim pressure,
but Scoot does.
Lamella was 6-7.
Scoot Henderson is a little bit shorter,
but he has all of that strength.
So Okay, maybe Scoot's not the best shooter,
but Lamella is.
And Nick, I just think in
today's day and age in the NBA,
you have.
All the ball handlers out there on the court,
it's really hard to guard and scoot Lamelo,
both of those guys complimenting
each other so well and being in
the back court at the same time.
That's why I love that pairing.
That's why I think Scoot has to be the guy.
I mean,
remember we were talking about m
being a phenomenal prospect befe
Brandon Miller did his thing in Alabama,
and people are a little worried about the
shooting numbers, but you can teach it.
It's not broken.
He shoots well on pull up twos.
Yeah, I'm a huge fan, Nick.
I really am.
I remember another guard they
were looking at drafting that hd
poor shooting numbers or perceid
shooting problems. So we'll see.
We'll see how it works out with schedule.
I know, I know. Look,
it's different. I promise.
I promise it's different.
Do I have evidence as to why?
No. I guess just go go
look at the highlights.
I that's the best thing
I can tell you. He's fun.
If it is Brandon Miller, why do
you think that would be? And an.
How would that work here too?
Well, no, you could argue.
You could certainly see the argt
that Brandon Miller fits a need
more so being the archetype type
of wing player where ultimately.
That's probably the most
valuable archetype in the NBA.
The the wing, the guy that's 68,
that can put the ball on the fl,
shoot very well.
I mean, he's a dead eye.
You know, he shot 39% from the three-point
line and he did so on high volu.
I do think he's a good decision maker.
I do think he is a good playmak.
Well, at least he's got a good vision.
I actually shouldn't say playmar
because I do think that actually entails
ball handling within that monikr
and that's why I worry a little.
I think that's just something
I value a lot and prosper.
Specs, especially if you're goig
to be out on the wing, right?
Like you've got to be able to break guys
down off of the dribble scoot 100% can
and Brandon doesn't necessarily bring that,
in my opinion.
I worry about that.
That might be split with other evaluators.
The other thing is.
The Athleticism's not even clos,
and you're talking about two completely
different tiers between Scoot and Brandon.
I I do value the athleticism tht
Scoot brings towards Brandon as well,
but if other people value Brandon Miller,
it's going to be because of
the production in college.
I think a lot of that, too,
is because you got to see him py
for a team that ultimately was e
number one seed in the NCAA Tournament.
And that's what happens with
these G Lee guys.
Remember when Lamelo was the selection?
We just didn't see a whole lot
from him and he couldn't shoot,
or the numbers at least suggeste
couldn't and he became one of the best guys.
So, you know,
I think there's some of that tht
would lend people more towards Brandon.
But I will say this.
Brandon's still a good player.
This is not me.
You know, putting him down to the point
where he's not worthy of a top three.
Top four.
If the Hornets didn't did see tr
logo revealed at #4 three, then cool,
I I'm down with Brandon Miller.
I just think women Yama was in one tier.
I think Scoot is in another.
I think he's in that second.
And then once you get to that t,
you can start talking about Mil,
Cam Whitmore,
and maybe an Amen Thompson
out of also the G League.
Regardless of who they they pic,
I mean #2 pick, you're going
to expect to come in here,
start and contribute basically right away.
So but this have a ripple effect
on maybe a big name or two,
and I guess it depends on
which position they go with
that's on the roster right now.
Yeah, Terry Rozier's the guy
that comes to mind, right?
So you draft another back court player.
There have been rumblings about Terry
Rosier being traded quite some time now.
Well, and it's like the last
100%. Well, and especially since they
gave him that contract, which you know,
which kind of made things a little bit,
you know, tougher to try to figure out.
But yeah, so you know,
look there was the report.
I believe it was Jake Fisher who talked
about the Suns being interested in Terry
Rosier after they fall from the postseason.
That's the second time Phoenix s
been mentioned in possible inqus
about Terry Rosier. Year now.
He still got a big contract.
You know the money would have to match,
but maybe you could create that
kind of space. And also Nick,
maybe just keep Terry for another year.
Have him be a leader in the locker room.
You have Scoot come off of the bench.
You don't have so much pressure on this guy.
You let Lamelo and Terry be in
the back court as the starters.
Let Scoot come in.
Still get significant minutes.
You bring him along somewhat sly
and then eventually you might move on
to try to to to free up, scoot .
There's some versatility with this move.
You know.
So I I do think that it absoluty
cost us some ripple effects.
James book Knight another one.
You know, I I think if you draft him,
depending on how much confidence
you had in his game already,
that probably dwindles down with
drafting another guy that's goig
to be a combo guard.
So yeah,
those are some of the ripple efs
that come to mind immediately.
Last question, this will be the
4th time the Hornets Select #2.
I feel like it just started gret
and got progressively worse.
1992 Alonzo Mourning, 2004 Meka,
Four, 2012 Michael Kidd Gilchri.
So we know there's not a lot of trust from
Hornet's fans in the lottery overall.
How much trust do you have in Mitch Kupchak
in this organization to make the right call?
I mean, it's not the number one
pick and it's, you know, but it.
Still can be franchise altering
if they play it the right way.
Oh yeah, 100% I trust Mitch.
The only the only real problem I've had?
Well at least in hindsight.
He missed on James book night as of right
now and they traded up for Kai Jones.
There's been one draft where they've missed.
They traded SGA after they drafted them.
Miles Bridges on court product actually
turned out to be a pretty good evaluation.
Now I loved SGA,
but those are a couple of the misses.
Other than that Nick.
He's hit on later picks.
You talk about PJ Washington
in the double digits.
Same thing with the Miles Bridg,
who ultimately was worthy of that selection.
If we just talk about his encore product when
you talk about the second round selections.
He's gone guys to 2nd
contracts like Devante Graham.
Jalen McDaniels was at least
sought after on the trade marke.
Cody Martin signed a $32 million deal.
Guys will get to their second contracts,
which is a big deal with second rounders.
And we saw Mitch Kupchak in
this territory one other time.
They hit with Lamella Ball,
which was not a foregone conclusion it it
probably was supposed to be those three guys,
but.
There was still plenty to talk about in
Yeka Kong Woo possibly being that guy and
and they they stayed strong with Lamelo.
I I think I I trust Mitch
Kupchak to get this right.
I'm not 100% sure that he's goio
pick Scoot but I I I hope he do.
I think he will.
And once all of that happens bee
of them being revealed as the sd
team in this NBA draft I'll be
feeling very good about the posn
the Charlotte Hornets team's in
Walker mail you're the best. Sorry it's.
Sorry I didn't win the lottery again.
It's okay. Look,
I was in a straitjacket rocking
back and forth for a little whi,
but I love Scoot Henderson.
I hope that's the pick and man
roller coaster of a night.
But it ends on a high
note talking with you,
Nick, so I appreciate
it. All right. Thanks, buddy.