Old North Banter
Fansided

Betting Odds Tie Hornets to Surprise Star Despite LaMelo Ball Report

Stephon Castle is the favorite to be selected with the No. 6 pick, according to the oddsmakers.

By Jovan Alford

Jan 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) dribbles against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter at Target Center.
Jan 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) dribbles against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter at Target Center. / Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

The Charlotte Hornets are in an interesting position heading into the 2024 NBA Draft later this month. 

Even though the Hornets had the second-best odds to land the No. 1 overall pick, they ended with the sixth overall pick. However, that might not be the worst-case scenario for Charlotte as this isn’t a highly-touted draft class.

At No. 6 overall, the Hornets could grab a big man such as UConn’s Donovan Clingan, or get more firepower at the guard spot with Reed Sheppard or at the wing with Dalton Knecht. Unlike last year’s class, Charlotte won’t feel pressured to make a game-changing pick.

That said, the Hornets still need to find the best player available to build around the young core of LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams, and Brandon Miller. The oddsmakers believe that the Hornets will address the backcourt, which is interesting given that the team already has Ball.

2024 NBA Draft Odds: Hornets Favored to Draft Stephon Castle

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, UConn standout guard Stephon Castle is the slight favorite (+350) to be picked with the sixth overall selection. G League Ignite star Matas Buzelis has the second-best odds (+400).

It’s interesting to see the oddsmakers pegging Castle at No. 6 overall to the Hornets, given that he reportedly isn’t working out for teams with a starting point guard. Charlotte fits the category, but having a Castle-Ball backcourt isn’t the worst thing in the world as he’s a sound defender.

In his only season at UConn, Castle had an outstanding 99.3 DRtg (defensive rating), which is nothing to sneeze about. Offensively, the young combo guard posted 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game.

Castle shot well from the field (47.2 percent) as a freshman, but didn’t fare well beyond the arc (26.7 percent). The good news is Castle should improve as he hits the league and potentially plays next to Ball and Miller.

More Hornets news and analysis:

feed

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change

Home/Charlotte Hornets