Who should be the Hornets' draft target at No. 6?

TENNESSEE ATHLETICS

Dalton Knecht, who helped Tennessee advance to the NCAA tournament Elite 8 in 2024, is the kind of knockdown shooter who can make an immediate impact on the Charlotte Hornets.

It is draft day, and Hornets fans are anticipating what new owners Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall will do with the team’s first round pick in the NBA Draft.

There are a bunch of names that have been circulating on various mock drafts and we will break down a few of potential candidates that the Hornets may end up drafting. We’ll look at the pros and cons of each and how they will potentially fit in with the current roster.

Stephon Castle, guard, UConn: Castle is listed at 6-6 and some say 6-7, which is quite tall for a point guard, but the Hornets are accustomed to having LaMelo Ball, who stands 6-7, so nothing new there. In his one year with the Huskies, he averaged 11.1 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game and 2.9 assists per game.

Pros: If the Hornets are looking to bring in a player who is committed on the defensive side of the ball, Castle is the way to go. He can lock his matchup down and be a handful for any guard who faces him. He can also shoot the ball pretty well shooting 47.2% overall in his one season in college. Although he did just shoot 26.7% from three-point range.

Cons: Arguably the largest concern is Castle’s lack of shooting consistency from deep. Also, given his 2.9 assists per game, he has yet to show that he can be a prolific passer, but can find open teammates when needed.

Overall fit: If the Hornets decide to go with Castle, the question will then be where he fits with Ball and how will that dynamic work. Although it does happen from time to time, you don’t usually want your top 10 draft pick getting rotation minutes, so this will be the biggest concern if Castle is the pick.

Donovan Clingan, center, UConn: The 7-2 Clingan won two national championships with UConn in back-to-back years. While he played in 39 games his freshman year, he didn’t start in any, serving as the back-up center. In his sophomore year, he started all but two games as the Huskies’ starting center. He averaged 13 points, 7.4 rebounds per game and 1.5 assists per game.

Pros: There is a lot to like about Clingan’s game, starting with his shooting efficiency. For his career at UConn he shot 64.5% from the field and could be very crafty around the basket. He rebounds well and his weight [265 pounds] gives him added advantage when boxing his opponents out, going for rebounds. 

Cons: The biggest concern is how well Clingan’s game will fit the modern NBA style where big men typically can shoot from range at a decent clip. Clingan’s 25% shooting from three-point range is an area of concern. But, for what it’s worth, Karl-Anthony Towns shot the exact same percentage in college from range and has turned into arguably the best three point shooting big man in the NBA, even competing in All-Star weekend three-point contests. So, there is hope Clingan can become a solid shooter with reps and time.

Overall fit: Much like with Castle and Ball, the Hornets have another budding young star at center already in Mark Williams but the concern with Williams is health. However, assuming Williams is healthy, Clingan could provide added depth at center, or even move to power forward if the Hornets want to utilize a taller lineup.

Dalton Knecht, guard, Tennessee: One of the older players in the draft, Knecht has been in college since the 2019-20 season where he played his first two seasons at Northeastern Junior College before transferring to Northern Colorado. He ultimately played his final season at Tennessee, helping lead the Volunteers to the Elite 8 before falling to national runner-up Purdue. He averaged 21.7 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game and 1.8 assists per game in his one year with the Vols.

Pros: The glaringly obvious pro for Knecht is his ability to shoot from deep [39.7%] and practically anywhere on the floor. He can get downhill and finish at the rim when need be and can pull up from mid-range. Knecht reminds me a lot of Tyler Hero of the Miami Heat in that he can really do just about anything you ask of him on the offensive side of the ball. He also has good size at 6-6, 197 pounds. To top it off, he has more experience than Castle and Clingan, which could bode well for a Hornets roster that is very young.

Cons: When watching Knecht and analyzing his game, the biggest area of concern is defense. While he isn’t the worst, he is susceptible to the occasional blow-by or defensive lapse. This is something that can be improved upon rather easily if he worked diligently on it. His scoring often overshadows the defensive shortcomings.

Overall fit: Out of the three listed, Knecht is the best overall fit looking at the Hornets roster. The Hornets could benefit from a knockdown shooter as such and I feel he could be worked into the starting lineup given enough time to learn the offense and what new coach Charles Lee has in place.

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