The Charlotte Hornets missed out on the No. 2 pick but they have a pair of incredible prospects to choose from. Is Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller a better fit?
The Hornets had some fortunate luck in this year’s draft lottery, sliding into the top four and securing the No. 2 overall pick. The No. 1 pick is all but locked in — Victor Wembanyama to the Spurs. The Hornets are now faced with a tough dilemma. Who should they take: Scoot Henderson, or Brandon Miller?
LaMelo Ball is coming back from injury, making Brandon Miller and the Charlotte Hornets a perfect match. Charlotte is in dire need of a dynamic scoring forward who can transform this lackluster offensive group. Miller’s 6-foot-9, 201-pound frame gives the potential to be an impact defensive player in the lineup, something Charlotte is also in desperate need of.
But the biggest asset for Miller is his shooting and offensive upside. He was an elite 3-point shooter this season, both spotting up and off movement. As the season went on, he was also much more effective as a self-creator.
But an embarrassing performance in the NCAA tournament, Miller makes for a real interesting case study. The freshman went 8-of-41 over three games in the tournament, shooting just 15 percent from the field in Alabama’s elimination game versus San Diego. A lot of blame was cast on Miller for Alabama’s surprisingly early NCAA Tournament exit.
Despite this lackluster performance, a lot of analysts like Kevin O’Connor have kept their belief that Miller is still the second-best talent in the draft. Others have soured on Miller due to his poor NCAA tournament showing and potential pending charge with law enforcement.
The Hornets need to consider more than just talent with Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller
Miller’s troubled past creates problems for this possible matchmaker, especially considering Charlotte’s current predicament. The Hornets “would like” to bring back SF Miles Bridges if possible next season, who will still be serving 10 games of his domestic violence suspension from last season. If the Hornets draft Miller, this gives them two prominent players with very checkered pasts on the roster. What does this say about their image as a franchise? What does it say about the culture within the organization? These are questions owner Michael Jordan should ask himself before making this monumental decision.
Just because Miller is a better fit, it doesn’t mean Scoot Henderson should be ruled out as a potential selection for Charlotte. Though somewhat rare, we’ve seen teams with two point guards have success in the past. Like the 2017-18 Rockets with James Harden and Chris Paul, who were nearly minutes away from beating the Golden State Warriors and clinching a title appearance. Or how about the 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks championship team that operated with Jason Terry and Jason Kidd in the frontcourt? While it’s certainly non-conventional, it doesn’t mean a dual point guard lineup can’t succeed.
While mocks have varied on which player is supposedly the favorite to be selected No. 2, there’s no denying Henderson is a special talent. The 19-year-old averaged 17 points per game, along with 5 rebounds and 6.5 assists for the G League Ignite team. Henderson has been praised for his leadership and “dog mentality”, mirroring a similar mindset to dynamic point guards like Russell Westbrook and John Wall. He’s also an elite athlete with strength, blazing speed and explosive leaping ability.
While Henderson was very impressive in the pick and roll and from mid-range, he shot a lackluster 27.5 percent from beyond the arc this past season. There are questions about how his shooting would work next to LaMelo and serious improvement needed in his shot selection.
With whatever move they make, it’s now or never for Charlotte, who is still patiently awaiting its first Eastern Conference finals appearance in franchise history. After garnering multiple lottery picks over these past few seasons, this is the second time in four seasons the Hornets have landed a top-three pick in the lottery. It’s time for Charlotte to grab their star with the second overall pick and become a relevant contender in the Eastern Conference.
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