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Charlotte Hornets: Looking at Malcolm Brogdon

By John Woodcock

Mar 27, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Malcolm Brogdon (15) controls the ball against Syracuse Orange guard Malachi Richardson (23) during the first half in the championship game of the midwest regional of the NCAA Tournament at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Malcolm Brogdon (15) controls the ball against Syracuse Orange guard Malachi Richardson (23) during the first half in the championship game of the midwest regional of the NCAA Tournament at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Charlotte Hornets talked to Virginia guard/forward Malcolm Brogdon among their interviewees at the NBA Draft Combine.

The Charlotte Hornets spent some of their time in the early part of the NBA Draft Combine talking to wing players. This was a surprise to me, but not necessarily so for anyone else since the status of Nicolas Batum’s contract and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist’s health are up in the air at the moment.

The Hornets talked to four players, Malik Beasley of Florida State, Malcolm Brogdon of Virginia, Justin Jackson of North Carolina, and Daniel Hamilton of Connecticut.

A lot of the focus went toward Beasley, but the young guard still has a lot of unknowns to his game and how he might develop. Personally, I would prefer more of a sure thing and that naturally brings us to Brogdon. The Virginia wing is a two time Consensus All-American the last two years and ACC Player of the Year last year.

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Where Beasley just sort o appeared on the scene, Brogdon has been creating matchup problems for years. They are both 6’5” but Brogdon is 227 lbs, making him the more durable player in a rough league. He also is no stranger to the concepts of individual and team defense since Tony Bennett’s Virginia teams excel at those things. These are also ideas that Steve Clifford of the Hornets would like to build on.

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On the offensive end, Brogdon would also fit the Hornets’ game of ball movement and responsible basketball. He can keep turnovers down and he could be one of the four out. Unlike Jackson, Brogdon shot almost 40% from the college three point line. What you get is a versatile player and a good locker room presence.

However Brogdon is still no Batum. He would be a neat bench option to bring in either at the two or three whereas Beasley would not match up well with most small forwards right now. If the Hornets are thinking Brogdon, it cannot be as a starter yet. Insurance maybe, but they need to focus on getting Batum back.

Next: Hornets talking to Beasley at Combine

Of all the players that the Hornets talked to at the Combine, Brogdon is the easiest one to see in the Charlotte uniform. I still would have to ask, where is the interior defense coming from? I will note that my suggestion, A.J. Hammons of Purdue, has tumbled out of the first round in some mocks and is not the clear cut choice at this moment.

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