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The Charlotte Hornets are in the midst of putting an intriguing roster together. The franchise made it to the play-in tournament this season after securing a record of 43-39. The youthful Hornets are not far off from competing and are currently in a solid position. While most of their offseason will be centered around free-agent Miles Bridges, who is in the news for the wrong reasons, they must continue improving the team through every avenue.
One area where there will be a focus is the NBA Draft. The Hornets currently hold the 13th, 15th, and 45th picks heading into the Draft. While most of the attention will be on their first two picks, there are several notable players set to fall to the second round. It is important to capitalize on every selection and the Hornets would benefit greatly from finding a diamond in the rough. Here are three sleepers to watch with the 45th selection.
3 sleeper prospects for Hornets to target in 2022 NBA Draft
Justin Lewis – Wing Marquette
The concerns with Justin Lewis seem much more rooted in his role than his ability. At Marquette, he was the lead option for the team and played extremely ball-dominant. He lacked as a passer and coughed up more turnovers than assists. Lewis was the primary option for the team and averaged 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals. He shot 34.9% on three-point attempts on 5.2 attempts per game. This is a vast improvement over the 21.9% he shot from deep as a freshman.
When looking at his NBA fit, Lewis is sure to play a vastly different role. Standing 6’7,” he has a strong frame and will be capable of guarding multiple positions. The Marquette product has a powerful build and looks the part of an NBA player. Lewis is a good rebounder for his size and has stretch forward potential. He will need to adjust to playing a complementary role in the NBA, but the holes in his game are fixable. Justin Lewis projects well as a rotational wing piece and would be a great addition.
Trevion Williams – F/C Purdue
Trevion Williams has an interesting game and was a four-year impact player at Purdue. He stands 6’10” with a 7’4” wingspan. Williams is a decent post scorer and a talented rebounder. He possesses great strength and plays with a relatively high motor. The most intriguing aspect of his game is his passing ability.
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The big man had an impressive junior season where he averaged 15.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. He flirted with the NBA before electing to return for his senior season. Williams took somewhat of a step back this season and primarily came off the bench. He still managed to polish off some more areas of his game. He averaged 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists this past season.
The Purdue product showed some real impressive flashes as a passer out of the post. He is comfortable dishing to cutters and made some relatively advanced reads from this spot. There is not a major sample size to judge off, but Williams also teases stretch big potential. He is somewhat heavy-footed and is not as great of a rim protector as you would hope. But, Williams could be an interesting long-term project. If he is able to slim down and move better it could change his NBA outlook greatly.
Patrick Baldwin Jr – Wing Wisconsin-Milwaukee
It once would have been a massive surprise to hear Patrick Baldwin Jr. in the second-round discussion. The highly regarded recruit passed up offers from big-time schools in favor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where his dad was the head coach. Baldwin Jr. is an intriguing prospect who stands 6’10” and moves fluidly. He has a mature game and can do a little bit of everything.
It is tough not to be disappointed by Patrick Baldwin Jr.’s time in college. He played in just 11 games and had his season shut down early due to an ankle injury. During these games, Baldwin averaged 12.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks. His efficiency was the greatest concern as he was just a 34.4% shooter from the field. He was even worse from downtown, sinking just 26.6% on three-point attempts.
As concerning as these numbers are, it is possible it was just a shooting slump. 11 games is simply too small of a sample size to get a proper judgment on a player. Baldwin was the 5th ranked prospect coming out of high school for a reason. He may not be the can’t miss prospect he was once looked at to be, but there is still an intriguing talent there. Taking a second-round flyer on the prospect could turn out a huge win in the long run. Baldwin Jr. would be a solid stylistic fit among the Hornets and could become a valuable piece of their young core.
