Now that the lottery is done and the draft order is set, prognosticators and pontificators can make more informed projections of how the 2023 NBA Draft will go. With the Hornets jumping up to second, there are really only two options at play. There’s more variety with pick 27 though. We’ve gone around the Internet and curated mock drafts from some of the world’s more reputable sources to see who the Charlotte Hornets might take with each pick. We’ll start with the most reputable of them all.

AT The Hive

2nd: Scoot Henderson, guard, G League Ignite
27th: Maxwell Lewis, wing, Pepperdine

Henderson is the first of two recurring stars that the Hornets select with the second overall pick in every mock. He’s an ultra competitive and extraordinarily athletic guard with above average passing and scoring ability and the potential to be a menace defensively. There are shades of Derrick Rose here. He and LaMelo Ball would be one of the league’s most formidable back court duos before long.

Lewis is a 6’8″ wing that can put the ball in the basket. Every team needs guys that can do that.

ESPN

2nd: Brandon Miller, forward, Alabama
27th: Maxwell Lewis, wing, Pepperdine

Miller is the other recurring player we will see mocked at the second overall pick. He’s a prototype forward with a sweet jump shot, good passing chops, and a burgeoning ability to create offense both for himself and others. He’s the type of player NBA teams covet as building blocks. Think someone like Paul George.

We talked about Lewis above. Chase and ESPN are in lockstep.

The Ringer

2nd: Brandon Miller, forward, Alabama
27th: Jaime Jaquez, wing, UCLA

Kevin O’Connor justifies the Miller selection based on his fit next to LaMelo Ball along with his superior upside as a defender over Henderson.

Jaquez is a glue guy that can put the ball in the basket, especially out of isolation, and makes the right decisions on both sides of the ball. He should be a solid role player if he’s able to overcome athleticism limitations.

The Athletic

2nd: Scoot Henderson, guard, G League Ignite
27th: GG Jackson, forward, South Carolina

Vecenie leans Scoot over Miller because of the dynamic duo Henderson and Ball would become. Henderson’s score first, paint-threatening attacks perfectly complement Ball’s passing, 3-point shooting style.

Jackson is one of the youngest players in the class and has flashed some high level scoring ability. He has a long way to go from an efficiency standpoint, but there’s a lot to be intrigued about here.

Bleacher Report

2nd: Scoot Henderson, guard, G League Ignite
27th: Rayan Rupert. wing, New Zealand Breakers (Australia NBL)

Bleacher Report likes Miller’s fit with LaMelo, but Scoot would “give the Hornets a backcourt advantage that few teams could match.”

Rupert is a 6’6″ wing with a 7’3″ wingspan that can maybe make shots and has a ton of defensive potential. The Hornets have an opportunity to take a big swing here, so the pick makes sense.

Yahoo Sports

2nd: Brandon Miller, forward, Alabama
27th: Bilal Coulibaly, wing, Metropolitans 92 (France)

Since the Hornets already have a point guard of the future, Krysten Peek likes the idea of the Hornets pairing him with a wing in Brandon Miller that can score the ball and complement the ball movement that Ball facilitates.

If you can’t get Wemby, might as well draft his teammate, right? Coulibaly is similar to Rupert above as a super rangy wing that fits the prototype, and he’s shown more ability as a shooter.

NBC Sports

2nd: Brandon Miller, forward, Alabama
27th: Brandin Podziemski, guard, Santa Clara

Another outlet that likes the Miller fit next to Ball more than the Scoot fit.

Pdziemski is a sharpshooting big guard that can play make a little bit and plays with a ton of toughness (he averaged 9.7 rebounds per 40 minutes as a guard).

NBA Draft Net

2nd: Brandon Miller, forward, Alabama
27th: Noah Clowney, forward, Alabama

One-two Alabama punch. Clowney is a high upside defender that showed the ability to knock down shots as a forward at Alabama. Plus we know he already knows how to play with Miller.

In all, a lot of the mocks like Miller over Scoot because of positional fit. To me it feels like the mockers are overthinking the fit angle a little too much to make their mocks more intellectual. But either way, it looks like the Hornets are set to take one of two guys, and it’s hard to hate either pick.