Perfect Hornets' LaMelo Ball Complement Hiding in Plain Sight
By Joe Summers
The NBA Draft gets started on Wednesday and the Hornets have a wealth of options ahead of them. Finding the right running mate for LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller remains the most important challenge, though there's one star big man who'd be a perfect fit.
Charlotte has expressed interest in trading back or accepting contracts to accumulate more draft capital. If they go that route, Purdue C Zach Edey could form a deadly pick-and-roll duo with Ball and fit defensively with Miller.
Perhaps one of the Hornets' best options is hiding in plain sight.
Hornets Should Target Purdue C Zach Edey in NBA Draft
Zach Edey is a dream target to pair with playmaking guards in pick-and-roll actions. He sets wide, bruising screens at 7-foot-5, 298 pounds and is nearly unstoppable rolling to the paint and catching everything thrown his way with his huge, magnetic hands and 7-foot-11 wingspan. pic.twitter.com/ezkWYmNGaJ
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 10, 2024
Edey would not represent good value at No. 6 overall, though he should be available in the No. 10-20 range. Superior prospects will be available if the Hornets stay put, but if they move, I'd strongly consider taking the reigning two-time National Player of the Year.
You can picture Edey setting a high screen for Ball then crashing to the basket, giving Ball the opportunity to throw a lob inside or swing the ball to an open shooter, perhaps Miller.
The former Boilermaker averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting 62.3% from the field. Miller's relatively skinny frame wouldn't be as big of an issue with Edey, who will immediately become one of the league's largest players.
Conventional wisdom suggests the Hornets prefer to play at a fast pace and Edey runs counter to that. However, Charlotte ranked just 22nd in pace this season, so Edey's presence wouldn't require drastic changes. Ball did miss most of the campaign and the team was ninth in pace in 2022-23, but there would still be opportunities to push the pace even with Edey.
Few teams have as many options as the Hornets. Organizations with this many holes can take the best player available and find ways to increase their draft capital. Should the Hornets acquire extra picks, they need to strongly consider taking the most dominant college player of the last two years.
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