How close are the Charlotte Hornets to their first playoff appearance since the 2015-16 season?
The Hornets finished the 2022-23 season with a record of 27-55, putting them in 14th place in the Eastern Conference. Guards LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier led the team in scoring with 23.3 and 21.1 points per game, respectively.
The Hornets will have a multitude of free agents they could try to bring back during the 2023 offseason, including a restricted free agent in forward PJ Washington and an unrestricted free agent in forward Kelly Oubre Jr. They could have 11 players return to the roster for the 2023-24 season, according to Spotrac. Ball, Rozier and forward Gordon Hayward make up some of the team's more notable potential returning options.
Charlotte holds the No. 2, 27, 34, 39 and 41 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. It can fill out its roster with exciting talent at No. 27 after taking a potential star with the No. 2-overall pick, or it can trade the selection for a more proven option to complement some of the team's younger players.
Who are some sneaky picks for the Hornets with the No. 27 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft?
Andre Jackson Jr.
The Hornets can use players who can contribute at the two or the three spots regardless of if they pick G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson or Alabama forward Brandon Miller at No. 2.
Charlotte could also need extra wing depth if Oubre or Washington go to another team. Guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, who scored 10.6 points per game during the 19 games he played with the Hornets last season, is also listed as an unrestricted free agent for the 2023 offseason.
Andre Jackson Jr., a former 4-star recruit from Amsterdam, N.Y., placed second on UConn's roster with 6.2 rebounds and first with 4.7 assists per game during the 2022-23 season. He took pride in his ability to adapt to any situation during a pre-draft one-on-one interview with the Indiana Pacers in May.
“I think my ability to adapt to any situation, the little things that I do on the court, will translate to any level of basketball, whether it's professional or college,” Jackson Jr. said, via the Pacers. “Rebounding the ball, making deflections, getting my teammates involved. I think the things that I do on the court definitely translate to this level well.”
Jackson's ability to play where his team needs him the most can make him a valued part of the Hornets' rotation of the future.
Sidy Cissoko
Size. Playmaking. High-level and energetic effort on defense.
Cissoko can bring it all if he falls to Charlotte at No. 27.
The 6-foot-8-inch guard played with Henderson on and forward Leonard Miller on NBA G League Ignite. He averaged 11.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in 43 games played with Ignite. He added on one steal and 0.9 blocks per game between the G League's regular season and the league's Winter Showcase, or the NBA G League's “annual in-season scouting event,” according to the league's website.
The Ringer Senior Staff Writer Kevin O'Connor highlighted Cissoko's feel for the game, interior scoring and on and off-ball defense in the Ringer's most recent mock draft.
“Energetic defender who locks in off the ball,” wrote O'Connor. “He offers great rim protection and frequently picks up weakside blocks on unsuspecting players going up for layups. He had a play this season in which he blocked a lob in transition, fell down, got back up, and then swatted a layup attempt.
“Competitive on-ball defender with the length and frame to become a versatile piece of a switching defense.”
Colby Jones
A modern squad can only be complete with versatile wing options.
Jones, a former 4-star recruit from Birmingham, Ala., averaged 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 83 games and 79 starts during his 3-year career with Xavier. The 6-foot-6-inch guard said he received positive feedback on his playing style from the teams that interviewed him, according to a May article from MusketeerReport.com Publisher Rick Broering.
“The teams I met with just like that I'm the connector on offense,” Jones said, via Musketeer Report. “I do a lot of different things on offense and defense and just making those hustle plays, all of the dirty plays. They like my motor.
“As far as like getting better, they just want me to continue to shoot the 3 ball so that I can shoot that and just be aggressive at all times. I feel like that's what they're really looking for.”
Even as he potentially fights for minutes with some of the Hornets' other shooting guard options, Jones's all-around talent can make him a welcomed part of a rotation that could feature either Miller or Henderson.
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