For those of us who are fans of multiple sports, today is a pretty exciting day. It’s the first round of the NFL Draft, which is always a huge deal even if the decision making process of that league seems to be a couple decades behind that of the NBA. But anyway, in honor of drafts in general, let’s look at some mock selections for the Charlotte Hornets now that we know their exact draft spots pre lottery. Note that some of these were published before the order was officially set, but they’re close enough

ESPN (pre-tiebreakers)

14. Jayden Quaintance. Big, Kentucky
19. Koa Peat, Big, Arizona

Jeremy Woo has the Hornets going double front court in the first round, but the two players have contrasting archetypes. Quaintance has had problems coming back from a torn ACL during his freshman season last year (which he played as a 17 year old), but has maintained his status as one of the most appealing rim protectors in this draft. But at this point, that’s about all he’s got. Peat is more of a throw back big. He’s undersized vertically, but he’s a bowling ball that physically dominated the offensive interior as a freshman, but size, athleticism, and shooting concerns could limit his ceiling.

Yahoo

14. Aday Mara, Big, Michigan
18. Nate Ament, Wing, Tennessee

So other than the part of this mock where Kevin O’Connor did a mock lottery and had the Thunder jump into the top four, I really like this result for the Hornets. Mara has a rare combination of elite block production paired with elite passing production. He’s also got great touch around the basket, though his range is limited. He’d be an ideal big for the Hornets handoff heavy offense. And then there’s Ament, who’s usually seen as a lock to go in the lottery. Ament had a little bit of a bumpy freshman season, but he’s a 6’10” wing that can dribble, pass, and shoot. It’d be hard to pass on a 19 year old with that foundation this far down in the draft.

USA Today

14. Karim Lopez, Wing, New Zealand Breakers (Australia NBL)
18. Allen Graves, Forward, Santa Clara

I don’t know a lot about Karim Lopez yet, but I do like the idea of him. He’s been a very productive player in a good professional league as a 19 year old, and he’s got really impressive stock and rebound numbers for a wing. He seems like a guy that would fit the on court culture the Hornets are building. Graves is similar in that he’s got crazy steal numbers and stats in general, but there are questions about how his play style will translate to the NBA.

Tankathon

14. Jayden Quaintance, Big Kentucky
18. Aday Mara, Big, Michigan

Going double big would be an interesting choice if the Hornets did actually use both of the picks. I just don’t know they would fit in the rotation.

There are a few other players that didn’t land with the Hornets that I’d be more interested in than some of the common ones we’re seeing. I’m not big on Quaintance, who hasn’t shown anything other than shot blocking so far in his college career. I’d like some more actual production. I’m sure these will shift around quite a bit between now and draft time. And who knows, maybe that 14th pick ends up jumping into the top four against all odds.