The NBA draft was Thursday night. As WFAE’s Kevin Kniestedt explains, the Charlotte Hornets did well to fill some glaring holes in their roster.
Despite having one of the best seasons in recent memory and making the playoffs, the then-Bobcats, now Hornets still had a lot of room for improvement if they wanted to be a competitive playoff team. First, they needed a big man as an insurance policy in case they lose starting forward Josh McRoberts, who chose to opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent next month. Second, they needed a shooter – someone with the ability to score from outside.
Tom Sorensen, sports columnist for the Charlotte Observer, says that the team did exactly what they drafted exactly how they needed to.
Sorensen: They had a superb draft. With the 9th pick, they drafted Noah Vonleh, from Indiana, who was supposed to be drafted much earlier. And with the 26th, as it turns out, they drafted P.J Hairston, the shooting guard from North Carolina who they absolutely, unequivocally had to have. So they filled a need, they got a bonus, and they probably had one of the best drafts they’ve ever had.
The 18-year-old, 6-foot, 10-inch, 240 pound Noah Vonleh will fill that “big man” role. P.J. Hairston, who averaged 21.8 points per game last winter in the NBA Developmental League after the NCAA ruled him ineligible, adds to the Hornets roster that much needed scoring threat.
