As terrific as LaMelo Ball was this past season, he needed some help. The Charlotte Hornets are hoping to get him just that in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Sure, the Hornets are still looking around for a head coach after Kenny Atkinson spurned them and remained with the Golden State Warriors, but this means all eyes will be on general manager Mitch Kupchak to wield some draft day magic.

That may not be the worst thing to happen for the Hornets.

Remember that under Kupchak's watch, the Hornets made some good decisions. They traded for Miles Bridges in 2018, drafted PJ Washington and Cody Martin in 2019, and picked LaMelo Ball in 2020. All of those guys have either become solid players or become stars for Charlotte.

There are many possibilities for the Hornets. They have two first round picks this year (No. 13 and 15), and they could trade at least one or both to move further up in the draft. They can also package these picks for a veteran player, use one and trade the other, or just make both picks.

“We have the 13th, 15th, and the 45th pick in the draft,” Kupchak told SI.com. “That's not to say we'll use all of those picks in the draft, it's good currency. You can use those picks to make a trade and our roster with our free agents, it's starting to get a little cluttered too.”

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No matter what the Hornets do in the NBA Draft, though, it's also clear that LaMelo Ball will be the team's leader moving forward. He had an outstanding sophomore season, averaging 20.1 points per game, but he does need help if they are to make it past the play-in round in 2023.