The Charlotte Hornets were one of the biggest winners in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery, jumping up from the eighth spot in the lottery to the No. 3 pick. The result should be a boost to a team that started a rebuild after losing out on Kemba Walker last season.
General manager Mitch Kupchak has an extensive, and successful, history of selecting players at the top of the draft in recent years. With the Lakers, Kupchak was responsible for drafting both Brandon Ingram and D’Angelo Russell, two future All-Stars.
Kupchak, then, understands what to expect when it comes to top prospects. Following last week’s draft lottery, Kupchak spoke with the media about what the team expects from a top pick in this draft.
Via Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer:
“With a top-3 pick, most times you can get a special player, Somebody who you can say is going to be a starter in the league, even on a good team. That would be our hope.”
In the same interview, Kupchak spoke about the uncertainty of a top pick and the challenge of ensuring you select a franchise player. The Hornets haven’t held a top-three pick since drafting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist No. 2 overall in 2012.
Aside from Kidd-Gilchrist, though, the Hornets have a string of great selections in the top three, taking Baron Davis No. 3 in 1999, Alonzo Mourning No. 2 in 1992 and Larry Johnson No. 1 in 1991. Each of those players were franchise-changing talents.
This season, it’ll be much harder to spot those players with the lack of availability to see prospects as extensively as normal years. And though Kupchak has noted that the team expects to draft the best player available, only top-notch scouting and experience can lead to Charlotte making the right selection.
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