Grade our draft

[316Hornets]

PJ Washington
PJ Washington averaged 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Kentucky.

Pre-Draft Analysis
Strengths
- Not particularly tall at 6-8 in shoes, but has a chiseled frame, big hands, a 7-3 wingspan and an 8-11 standing reach that should allow him to see minutes as a small-ball center. Fairly quick off his feet and has solid explosiveness off two feet.

- Developed into a versatile offensive player in his sophomore season, converting 42% of his 3-point attempts and 55% of his 2s. Was utilized in a variety of ways at Kentucky -- both facing and with his back to the basket, playing as a pick-and-roll finisher and moving off the ball in open spaces. Creative finisher with good hands and touch.

- Can make an impact as a defender and rebounder thanks to his length and improved conditioning and activity level. Showed a lot of toughness by playing through injury in the NCAA tournament. Ticks quite a few boxes on both ends of the floor. Has a high floor.

Improvement areas
- Awareness is average on both ends of the floor. Not a great passer -- posted a negative assist-to-turnover ratio. Split-second late rotating and making decisions defensively at times. Didn't always play with a consistent motor earlier on in his career.

- Shot the ball well as a sophomore (33-of-78 from 3) but that was on a small sample size and an outlier compared to the rest of his career. Made just 63% of his free throws in college.

- Spent nearly the entire pre-draft process in a boot after injuring his foot and playing through injury in the tournament. Well-known player to teams, but inability to conduct private workouts may not be ideal.

Post-Draft Analysis
Charlotte has a need at the power forward position, with much of its frontcourt depth being diminished a year from now. This made drafting one of the safer prospects in the draft, PJ Washington, attractive here. Washington can play either the power forward or center positions with his strong frame, long arms and ability to step outside and make 3-pointers. He looks like a solid building block for the Hornets to add to their roster at this stage of the draft. -- Jonathan Givony



Cody Martin
Pre-Draft Analysis
At the combine, Martin stood out by defending with toughness at 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, operating as a lead ball handler given his excellent vision and feel and finishing above the rim in space. He didn't make a 3 and remains limited in that area, but should a team feel comfortable it can work with his mechanics, he could most certainly carve out a role in the NBA.

Post-Draft Analysis
Charlotte took a flyer on long-armed 6'6 wing Cody Martin, a versatile player who saw quite a few minutes at point guard for Nevada and impressed with his defense and toughness. -- Jonathan Givony


Jalen McDaniels
Jalen McDaniels averaged 15.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore at San Diego State.

Pre-Draft Analysis
McDaniels was inconsistent from the perimeter in his two years in college, though his defensive versatility, ability to create offense at 6-10 and overall upside are intriguing long term.

Post-Draft Analysis
Jalen McDaniels' size, ball-handling and defensive versatility are interesting enough to warrant a pick at this stage of the draft, even if his slender frame will have to improve to earn a roster spot eventually. -- Jonathan Givony

-from espn

[Robot Rock]

Well, we got three bites at the same cherry.

One will end up at least contributing 5.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game on 38% shooting. The others are G-Leaguers. Who will win out? Find out in October.

[KingCat]

Probably a C with just the PJ pick. Lowers to about a D plus when you include the second round. Martin has a extremely low floor and ceiling and McDaniels is a piece of crap that films girls performing sexual acts without their consent

Just another boring, uninspiring draft by a boring uninspiring franchise.

[Robot Rock]

Probably a C with just the PJ pick. Lowers to about a D plus when you include the second round. Martin has a extremely low floor and ceiling and McDaniels is a piece of crap that films girls performing sexual acts without their consent

Just another boring, uninspiring draft by a boring uninspiring franchise.

Essentially how i feel. I didn’t follow these guys’ seasons last year so I can’t really judge, but it feels like an extremely forgettable draft where we probably didn’t get any better.

We had a shot at still going for Bol at 36 and blew it. I get the feeling we left with Marvin 2.0, Jeff Taylor 2.0 and some random scrub or something. Just meh. Hope these guys prove me wrong.

[JDR720]

I gave it a B+. In the league today, you cant have too many versatile SF/PF types. They each have a slightly different skill-set too, which is good for the team in need of skill diversity.

[316Hornets]

I give it a solid B. The Washington pick was basically making the best of a bad situation. No one there was going to be perfect and he has the tools that should help take over Marvin's minutes at some point.

The 2nd round is a little head scratching, but I do see the reason behind the picks and think we sort of picked need there instead of bpa. Martin should be able to contribute right away and helps our 2nd unit across many spots. He's a dynamic guy that can change the flow of a game. McDaniels is your typical grunt guy who is going to work for every minute he gets. He's not a reach or a project player and that is a positive. The last thing this team needs is more projects.

[316Hornets]

Interesting Fact: We drafted all upperclassmen

PJ is 20, almost 21
Cody is 23
Jalen is 21

[Robot Rock]

Interesting Fact: We drafted all upperclassmen

PJ is 20, almost 21
Cody is 23
Jalen is 21

The Swarm are gonna have a helluva lineup.

[JMAC3]

Overall I would give our draft a B.

I’m not sure who compared Cody Martin to Bembry, but I like that comparison a lot. Bembry was a first round pick in his draft, so getting the same player at 36 seems like decent value. Martin should be able to play 1-3 with his versatility and he competes on defense.

McDaniels seems like a flyer on a guy with a ton of talent. He will probably be a GLeague stud this season, his game reminds me of Christian Wood. If he develops he could become an interesting trade asset.

Finally, PJ Washington... I love this pick. He was my 10th rated prospect in the draft and only one player was rated higher with Sekou coming in at 9. For the Hornets, PJ makes a lot of sense as a Marvin replacement as Marvin will be gone after this season with no real replacement on the roster.

The main difference between Marvin and PJ is inside the 3 point line. In time PJ will become a quick release snipper like Williams is from downtown as he already has great mechanics.

The big difference we will see is Washington has an actual game inside of 15 feet, especially on pnr switches, he is able to seal his defender and has a go to baby hook shot that is nearly automatic. He punishes smaller defenders and is capable of finishing with either hand.

At 12, in this draft I do not believe there was a 20ppg player on the board. I like what we did, get a solid 15 ppg player who can defend and hit threes. Miles Bridges is very much the same should be a near 15 ppg scorer this season as well.

All this team needs is someone to take the next step at shooting guard and he we have a nice young core, center is the easiest position to fill and after Biz, MKG, and Marv expire we can attack that need in free agency next summer.


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[BigSlam]

I didn’t follow these guys’ seasons last year so I can’t really judge.

Probably a sensible position given your self proclaimed lack of exposure and knowledge.

but it feels like an extremely forgettable draft where we probably didn’t get any better.

Wait. What?

Isn’t this the epitome of judging?


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[BigSlam]

B- for me.

I’m ok with the PJ pick. Not super sexy but a solid pick. I do like him as a potential future replacement for Marv.

I think we absolutely **** the bed in the 2nd round though. If we were intent on making questionable selections we should have packaged the picks and moved up a little.


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[Robot Rock]

B- for me.

I’m ok with the PJ pick. Not super sexy but a solid pick. I do like him as a potential future replacement for Marv.

I think we absolutely **** the bed in the 2nd round though. If we were intent on making questionable selections we should have packaged the picks and moved up a little.


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So you agreed with me, but you still want to beef with me. Standard behavior.

[_tijo_]

Eh, this draft was a total crapshoot, I'm giving it a B. I like PJ more than most, I think his wingspan and improvement in his shot bode well for him, I think he and Miles could be our frontcourt for the next 10 years. I don't get the safe, low ceiling idea. I think he has a high floor, he's going to contribute with his shot and wingspan, and he has lots more potential. Like if you wanted Sekou, I think he has WAY more bust potential than PJ. I think it's because his name is PJ Washington. It's not distinct or flashy sounding so people think he's safe.

Cody, well, wasn't a fan of his at State, but he seems like a big guard who can contribute. If he can make 3s, he can be a Courtney Lee or Danny Green type (Get in the gym Mr. Martin). I'm just not enthused that we have two Cody's on our team now.

McDaniels is a flyer, I'd rather have him than Bol Bol. That guy is an injury waiting to happen. Remember Hasheem Thabeet? People were just waiting to dunk on him. Yeah, imagine him but always hurt. If anything, I want to see in real time UNCNYC's crazy draft analysis at work.

I said I wasn't going to be mad at any pick the Hornets made since this draft is such a crapshoot after 3. I think we did fine. I'm excited about PJ, meh on Cody, and intrigued with McDaniels.

[Vanderbilt_Grad]

B+ ...

I get why there wasn't a draft day trade, but some of the mock trades seemed like they had real potential to shake things up in a good way. As is the team so far is looking very similar to the one Mitch inherited the summer before this one.

That said, Mich seems to be able to nail the draft in a way that Cho never could. PJ was my guy. Very happy with the pick. I'm OK with the Cody pick now. The best case is that he ends up being a Nic Batum replacement as a secondary ballhandler 3 & D guy. The McDaniels pick is the most questionable one to me. Really not a fan of drafting guys in legal trouble.

So looking at the young guys and positions they can play:
* PJ Washington - SF, PF, or C
* Cody Martin - SG or SF (PG in a pinch)
* Jalen McDaniels - SF or PF (would love to see him add center to that list, but probably can't happen this year)

And existing depth (without free agents like Kemba)
PG - Graham, Monk
SG - Nic, Bacon, Monk
SF - Bridges, Nic, Bacon, MKG
PF - Marv, MKG, Bridges
C - Zeller, Biz, Willy

What the draft sets up is
1. A need to resign Kemba or sign a veteran PG if he's not coming back.
2. Depth at the forward spots that makes it possible to trade MKG or even Marv if going with a youth movement
3. A secondary ballhandler 2/3 which is something that Bacon & Monk haven't really shown yet
4. More passing overall - something that Borrego's system does best with

My expectation is that MKG, Marv, or Biz will be traded for cap space if Kemba is resigned. Biz could potentially be stretched. I expect that Frank will either be gone or on the 1 year QO. Would love to see Lamb back, but it seems unlikely given the team's current finances and the free agent landscape.

[BigSlam]

B- for me.

I’m ok with the PJ pick. Not super sexy but a solid pick. I do like him as a potential future replacement for Marv.

I think we absolutely **** the bed in the 2nd round though. If we were intent on making questionable selections we should have packaged the picks and moved up a little.


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So you agreed with me, but you still want to beef with me. Standard behavior.

Nope.

I didn’t say I can’t really judge then go ahead and judge anyways.

I have zero interest in “beefing” with you (what does that even mean? Is it a farming term? Are you a farmer?). I was just pointing out how ironic and contradictory your statement was.

Runs true with the sprinkle dust of disappointment and distain you generally flutter down over the franchise.


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[SWedd523]

B- for me.

I’m ok with the PJ pick. Not super sexy but a solid pick. I do like him as a potential future replacement for Marv.

I think we absolutely **** the bed in the 2nd round though. If we were intent on making questionable selections we should have packaged the picks and moved up a little.


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So you agreed with me, but you still want to beef with me. Standard behavior.

Something can be said for delivery.

------------------

I view it in that B-/C+ realm as well.

PJ was a good choice IMO. We started talking about him a little bit prior to the draft and he grew on me as a prospect. I was a big NAW fan from the get go and still would've liked to have seen him be the pick, but NAW has plenty of warts that give pause. I think PJ has much higher potential than guys are giving him credit for and I love that he is exactly the type of guy whle HAVEN'T been drafting for years.

There are no holes in his physical makeup. He's got tremendous length and bulk and is in that size where he can legitimately play three positions based on matchups. Coaches don't have to get creative with lineups to put him on the floor like they do with MKG/Biz/Cody/Frank. He's a true enabler who will make building a roster easier.

He has a ton of skill traits that we have been bitching about for years with other guys.

He has very soft hands and can score from either low block over either shoulder. He's also shown tremendous growth with passing out of the post to open shooters when defenses collapse. Yes please

He can beat his man off the dribble from the FT line extended..... Going to either hand. Even more yes please.

He can spread the floor and has a very workable jump shoot for a big with legit three point range. He has the potential to work as either a high post offense initiator or high end pick and pop player with Kemba.

Really the only hole in his offensive game is his poor FT shooting, and at 66% isn't really THAT bad. The good thing being that he's shown an improvement in each of the past two years from the charity stripe, so that bodes well for his continued development.

I think the 36 pick was a huge reach for a guy who could've been had with the 52 or potentially from the UDFA market. I would've preferred combining the two picks and trading up, or at least taking a different guy here (like Sirvydis or Schofield). I also unfairly grade this low because I think we're going to be kicking ourselves at seeing Fernando go two slots higher when we could've/should've found a way to get him.

That said, Martin does fit very well into that 3&D mold you're looking for and could be that Malcolm Brogdon type of player for us long term. His age is the biggest negative, but he looks and plays like an NBA player and that's honestly all you can hope for from the second round.

McDaniels is a super tall/long/athletic big. Tyrus Thomas Jr. He'll either put on weight and figure out how to contribute... Or be a G-League/foreign league all star. At 52 I'm cool taking a flyer on a guy like that, and there really weren't a ton of other options that I liked, so I'm take it or leave it with him.

[Braggins]

I went with B-. I don't think you can go much higher than a B+ at this point because the 2nd rounders were a bit "meh", but I also don't see how you can go any lower than like a C.

I don't get people throwing out F grades. Like, do you seriously see this draft for the Hornets being as bad as the Suns? Because thats what an actual F draft looks like.

[Lwcasu]

B-

PJ was my guy. Was t happy with the 2nd pick. I really wanted Claxton but he went at 31. Bruno seemed like our guy but went 34. Figured we’d take Gafford or Bol Bol but we picked up another Cody. After I watched his video I thought it was a decent selection but why not wait to pick him up at 52?

McDaniels I really wasnt overtly impressed with but... UNCNYC liked him so maybe he’s a gem. His brother is super good too, so maybe we are gonna get him next year.

[LofJ]

I voted A-

The more I looked into PJ and thought about the selection the happier I was about it. He is skilled with great size and positional versatility. He also has a high basketball IQ. He will do really well playing for Borrego.

I feel exactly the same way about Cody Martin. Both he and PJ can really pass the ball and bring positional versatility that is crucial in today's NBA.

I think the Jalen McDaniels pick was an attempt to swing for the fences at a point in the draft where talent was lacking. I really don't like his character concerns, but I'm a believer in 2nd chances. Mitch should let him know though that if he screws up again his career in Charlotte is over.

I would have given a grade of A or A+ had Mitch been able to package picks to trade up for Claxton or Fernando. But considering how easy it is to find bigs on the cheap in free agency I'm not too upset about it. It is hard to find bigs that are as agile as Claxton and also have the ability to pass though, it's disappointing we couldn't get him.

[dmutombo321]

C+
Washington was a safe pick and should be a servicable heir apparent for Marvin at the 4. He's a quality kid with proven work ethic, good measurables and potential to evolve into a 15/8 ibaka type stretch big.

If this team is content on resigning walker and treading water in 35-42 win purgatory for the next 5 years with annual picks in the 9-12 range, at some point, they need to be bold swing for the fences on some of these selections as it is their only long shot hope to ever rise above mediocrity. To that end, I would have grabbed Sekou last night at 12 and rolled the dice on Bol in the second round.



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