Free Agency or Draft: How Should Charlotte Hornets Fill Biggest Offseason Needs?
The 2015-16 Charlotte Hornets must make some seismic adjustments to avoid falling flat on their faces again. Being 1-0 was the only time they got over .500 in 2014-15. The franchise now has an empty stomach with plenty of options at the table to fill their playoff-hungry bellies.
In today's NBA, there is never really a bad free-agency crop. Charlotte is certainly not the destination that New York, Miami or Los Angeles are, but landing Al Jefferson and Lance Stephenson over the past two offseasons indicates that the front office can make a serious splash when it needs one.
Given their recent boom-or-bust history in both the draft and free agency, which route should the Hornets take to solve the major issues for next season?
Outside Shooting
Method: Both...They're that bad
It's well-known that Charlotte has been abhorrent from three-point range for the better part of a decade.
Charlotte's 31.8 percent success rate was last in the NBA this past season. The Hornets have been in the bottom five in the NBA during four of the past five years, and haven't been outside the worst 10 from long-range since 2008-09.
In today's NBA, you simply cannot win without being able to hit from deep. Do you think it was a coincidence that the final five teams standing in the playoffs were the same top five in the league in threes?
The core of this team is not elite, but it can win. There are no superstars. Little possibility exists for any of them making a leap to superstardom, either.
What they do have is immense talent. Al Jefferson, Kemba Walker and Lance Stephenson can be a lethal three-headed attack, even though things went south this season. Bringing in shooters is the way to get more out of these three.
With Charlotte's lottery pick, it has to go for the best player available. Should that wind up being a wing threat who can rain threes, then so be it.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer noted that with Charlotte's lottery pick (No. 9), someone like Kentucky's Devin Booker could be very much in play. They also met with Justise Winslow and Stanley Johnson at the Draft Combine.
"The players the Hornets interviewed at the Draft Combine reflect a team in search of better shooting. They met with Duke’s Justise Winslow, Arizona’s Stanley Johnson and Kentucky’s Devin Booker, who each shot 37 percent or better from the college 3-point line last season. Booker, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard, shot 41 percent from 3 in his only college season. He says he’s aware of the Hornets’ needs and is 'definitely' the best long-range shooter in this draft," said Bonnell.
On the market lies a bevy of adept shooters. The names go on and on: Wesley Matthews, Khris Middleton, Lou Williams, Gerald Green, Danny Green and Mike Dunleavy are all available.
The Hornets made a big run at Gordon Hayward last offseason, but fell short. This is the time to make up for that whiff by locking down at least one or two guys who can let it rip. Signing Marvin Williams and Brian Roberts last year was done to fix this problem, but neither had a sizable impact.
Regardless, Charlotte has to go back to the well with so many available shooters.
Rim Protection
Method: Draft
With Bismack Biyombo entering free agency and Al Jefferson following suit after this upcoming season, Charlotte could soon find themselves empty in the paint.
Those two combined for 2.84 blocks per game, over half of Charlotte's nightly average this past year. Those are big shoes to fill.
Even if the two stick around, Biyombo is unlikely to ever live up to his seventh-overall draft selection, and Jefferson is on the wrong side of 30. Outside shooting is the big issue, but the Hornets' big men aren't getting it done.
Charlotte also gave up the most defensive rebounds in the NBA at 35.2 per night. The Hornets were also fifth-worst when it comes to corralling offensive boards.
This signals a lack of aggression down low. Biyombo led the team with 2.5 offensive boards per game in limited playing time, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist also brought down two a night. The roster needs more energy from front-court guys who will go and get it.
According to Bonnell, another target for Charlotte is Kentucky's thunderous big man.
Willie Cauley-Stein would make too much sense for the Hornets. He could fit the mold of rim protector, and also spearhead the need for Charlotte to run the floor. He would provide easy buckets and highlight plays that this roster sorely needs.
Cauley-Stein should be there, so if some of the big aforementioned names are already gone, general manager Rich Cho better take a long look at WCS.
Excitement
Method: Free Agency
You never would have thunk it on paper, but Charlotte turned out to be flat-out boring in 2014-15. Buzz city, it was not.
Few players were more exciting than Lance Stephenson in 2013-14 when he broke out. P.J. Hairston and Noah Vonleh were supposed to provide a jolt as rookies, but Steve Clifford poured glue onto the bench and shoved them into it.
Kemba Walker and MKG provided some big plays, as did Cody Zeller. The highlights were fun, but there needs to be more.
A mental overhaul is needed more than anything. This team has to play a more uptempo and electric style in order to compete. That being said, additions are needed in this department as well.
A lively second-round hit on someone like Pat Connaughton or Michael Qualls would certainly add more buzz to this roster, given their tenacity and otherworldly athleticism. It would go a long way, but Charlotte needs a bigger spark.
A couple of below-the-radar guys who would be worth a look are free agents Brandan Wright and K.J. McDaniels. Both are exciting talents who won't be franchise players, but can unquestionably light a fire. Wright provides dunks and blocks galore, while McDaniels did very much the same thing as a rookie from the shooting guard spot.
Charlotte's miserable history with second-round draft picks adds some importance in that aspect, but either of Wright or McDaniels would be a big-value move to fortify the bench.
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