With Thursday’s NBA draft is rapidly approaching, the final set of mock drafts are being published to the masses.
For the Charlotte Hornets, they hold two picks in the middle of first-round at No. 13 and No. 15.
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony released his latest mock, which had the Hornets land two Duke Blue Devils, AJ Griffin at No. 13 and Mark Williams at No. 15.
Givony on Griffin:
“If they decide to keep this pick, drafting a player such as Griffin, who is arguably the best shooter in the class after making 45% of his 3-pointers, could make sense. His 7-foot wingspan gives him significant potential defensively; he’s one of the youngest players in the draft; and he plays one of the most coveted positions in the modern NBA.”
In his freshman season at Duke, Griffin averaged 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 44.7% from 3-point range.
With the No. 15 pick, Givony has Charlotte selecting Duke center Mark Williams, who they’ve been linked to in just about every mock draft over the last few months.
Givony on Williams:
“The Hornets have been seeking a legitimate rim-protecting, lob-catching center to pair with LaMelo Ball from the moment they drafted him, and could very well be attracted to Williams, with whom they’ll be familiar with down the road in Durham. Williams led college basketball in dunks last season, won ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors and made considerable progress as a sophomore. He’s an absolute game-changer on both ends of the floor with his combination of size (7-1), length (7-8 wingspan) and nonstop energy, providing a steady offensive presence with his excellent hands and finishing ability and putting a lid on the rim defensively thanks to his mobility, timing and reach.”
In his sophomore season at Duke, Williams averaged 11.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game.
As Givony notes in his mock draft, sources around the league don’t expect the Hornets to keep both mid-round picks but if they were two draft in both spots, landing Griffin and Williams would be quite the haul at the end of the lottery.
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